From my experience dealing with NYS DOL requirements, the documentation is absolutely critical. I keep a detailed log in Google Sheets that I can access from anywhere - date, company name, position title, application method, contact info, and any follow-up actions. What really helped me was also saving PDF copies of job postings since they disappear, and I screenshot my application confirmations. Don't forget that career counseling sessions, skills assessments, and even updating your resume on job boards count as valid work search activities. The 3 activities per week requirement is real, and they do random audits. I also learned that if you need to speak with someone at NYS DOL about specific requirements, calling early morning (around 8 AM) gives you the best chance of getting through without waiting hours on hold. Better to be over-prepared than risk losing benefits - I've seen people have to pay everything back because they couldn't prove their job search efforts.

I just went through my first audit last month and want to share what really helped me get through it smoothly. Beyond keeping the basic spreadsheet everyone mentioned, I also created a separate folder on my computer for each week with screenshots of job applications, email confirmations, and even photos of business cards from networking events. One thing that surprised me was that they accepted my documentation of reaching out to temp agencies and staffing firms as valid work search activities - I had called several to discuss available positions and kept notes on who I spoke with and what types of roles they had. The auditor was impressed that I had such detailed records and my case was resolved quickly. My advice: treat your job search documentation like you're building a case file - the more evidence you have of genuine effort, the better protected you'll be if they come knocking!

Just went through mine last week! Honestly way less stressful than I built it up to be in my head. Mine was at the Rochester One-Stop with about 18 people. They did a group presentation first covering the basics - job search requirements, how to properly document your applications, and info about local resources. Then individual check-ins that lasted maybe 7-8 minutes each. The counselor just wanted to see I was keeping track of my job search efforts (I had everything in a basic Word doc with company names, dates, and positions) and asked if I needed help with anything specific. She actually told me about a job fair happening next month in my field that I hadn't heard about! Total time was about 90 minutes. My biggest takeaway: they genuinely want to help you find work, not trip you up. Just bring whatever organized records you have and be ready to talk about your job search efforts. The whole experience was way more supportive than scary. Don't overthink it - you'll be fine! 😊

Wow, this entire thread has been so incredibly helpful! I was honestly terrified about my upcoming meeting - had myself convinced they were going to interrogate me and find reasons to cut my benefits. But reading everyone's actual experiences here has completely flipped my perspective. It's amazing how consistent all your stories are about the meetings being supportive rather than intimidating. I love that so many people mentioned getting valuable job leads, learning about new resources, and receiving genuinely helpful advice from the counselors. I've been keeping my job search records in a messy notebook but definitely going to organize everything into a proper spreadsheet before I go. The tips about dressing business casual and bringing organized records are noted! Really feeling like this could actually be beneficial now instead of something to dread. Thank you all for taking the time to share your real experiences - this kind of community support is exactly what people going through unemployment need! 💙

After seeing your post, I wanted to follow up. Were you able to get through to anyone? I know how stressful this waiting game can be.

So glad to hear you got it sorted out! I'm actually dealing with the same ID.me nightmare right now - it keeps rejecting my selfie even though I'm following all their instructions. The lighting thing is so finicky and then it times out halfway through. I've been on hold with NYSDOL for over an hour today but seeing all these success stories gives me hope. Going to check out that Claimyr service too. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get our own benefits!

I'm having this exact same PIN problem too! Filed my claim about 6 weeks ago and definitely never got anything in the mail. I've been avoiding my weekly certification because I had absolutely no idea what this 4-digit PIN was - I kept thinking maybe I was supposed to make one up myself somewhere in the system. This entire thread is such a lifesaver to read because I was starting to panic that I had completely botched my application somehow. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to check my NY.gov account documents/correspondence sections first thing tomorrow morning, then call the 1-888-209-8124 number right at 8 AM with my SSN, claimant ID, and filing date all ready to go. It's absolutely ridiculous that something so crucial for our weekly benefits can just evaporate in the mail with zero backup notification system, but seeing how many people have successfully gotten their PIN over the phone is really reassuring. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their step-by-step experiences - makes this whole confusing bureaucratic maze feel so much more manageable!

I'm going through this exact same PIN nightmare right now! Filed my claim about 4 weeks ago and never received any PIN letter in the mail. I've been putting off my weekly certification because I had no clue what this random 4-digit PIN was supposed to be - honestly thought maybe it was some security code I was supposed to create myself. Reading through all these experiences is such a huge relief because I was starting to think I was the only one who somehow "lost" their PIN or missed an important step. It's clearly a massive problem with their mail delivery system. I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM calling strategy everyone's recommending with my SSN, claimant ID, and filing date all ready to go. Also going to check my NY.gov account documents section first since so many people found their PIN hiding there. It's honestly insane that something so critical for weekly benefits can just vanish in the postal system with no backup notification, but seeing how many people have successfully resolved this by calling gives me hope. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed advice - this community has been incredibly helpful for navigating this bureaucratic mess!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the anxiety of waiting for a decision when you need those benefits is really tough. But honestly, your case sounds really strong! The fact that you were laid off with 3 other people from your department is huge evidence in your favor. That's clearly a pattern of workforce reduction, not individual misconduct. I dealt with something similar about 9 months ago when my employer tried to claim I was fired for "unprofessional behavior" after they shut down my entire division due to merger restructuring. What saved me was documenting everything I could remember about the circumstances and getting confirmation from other affected employees. NYS Department of Labor investigators are trained to spot these inconsistencies. When employers make false misconduct claims, they usually can't provide specific dates, incidents, or documentation to back up their stories. Meanwhile, you have concrete evidence of a departmental layoff affecting multiple people. Definitely reach out to those other 3 coworkers who were laid off with you - even a simple confirmation that you were all let go the same day for budget reasons completely destroys their misconduct narrative. And that conversation with your supervisor about it not being performance-related is exactly the kind of detail that will help your case. The process took about 5 weeks for me, but I won my appeal and got all back benefits. Stay organized with your documentation, respond promptly to any requests from NYS DOL, and don't let them intimidate you. The truth has a way of coming out in these investigations!

I'm dealing with this exact nightmare scenario right now and it's been keeping me up at night! My former employer is claiming I was fired for "violating company policy" when I was actually part of a mass layoff due to contract losses. What makes it even more frustrating is that they announced the layoffs in a company-wide meeting but are now trying to reframe individual terminations as misconduct to avoid unemployment costs. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both eye-opening and reassuring. It sounds like these dishonest tactics from employers are unfortunately pretty common, but NYS Department of Labor seems to do their homework when investigating these disputes. I'm currently gathering all the documentation I can find - saved emails about the contract losses, the layoff announcement, and I'm planning to reach out to other affected coworkers who might be willing to confirm what really happened. The waiting period while they investigate is absolutely brutal when you're already stressed about finances, but it's encouraging to see so many success stories here. Has anyone had experience with employers trying to reframe company-wide layoffs as individual misconduct? I'm wondering if there are any specific types of evidence that work particularly well in these cases where it's clearly a pattern affecting multiple employees rather than individual performance issues.