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ugh the system is so confusing!! I tried filing when my hours got cut but gave up after the website kept crashing. How do you even get through to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor when you have questions about your claim??
I had the same problem trying to reach them by phone - kept getting disconnected or the line was busy. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
Just want to add that there are other valid reasons to file besides reduced hours - layoffs obviously, but also if you quit for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment. Being fired for misconduct usually disqualifies you though. The key is proving you're unemployed through no fault of your own.
The waiting period thing is confusing - you still need to file weekly claims during that first week even though you won't get paid for it. I almost missed filing my first weekly claim because I thought I could skip it since it was unpaid.
Make sure you file ASAP because there's a waiting period. And whatever you do, don't lie about anything on the application. NYS Department of Labor will verify everything with your employer and if there are discrepancies it can delay your claim for weeks while they do adjudication.
ugh filing unemployment is such a pain, the whole system is designed to make you give up. but you gotta do it if you want the money so just power through the confusing website
Luca Bianchi
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions (their lines are always busy), I recently used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent quickly. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I needed to check my claim status.
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GalacticGuardian
•Interesting, never heard of that. How much does something like that cost though?
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Luca Bianchi
•They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than sitting on hold all day. For me it was worth it just to get real answers about my adjudication instead of guessing what was happening with my claim.
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Nia Harris
yeah file right away but be prepared for the runaround... NYS Department of Labor system is such a mess, took me forever to even get my account set up properly and then had issues with the weekly claims. just saying dont get your hopes up for smooth sailing
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