Can substitute teachers get unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor?

Thank you! Do I need to keep looking for substitute positions over the summer or can I look for other types of work to meet the job search requirements?

What kind of documentation did they want? I'm filing next week and want to be prepared.

Job search log with at least 3 contacts per week, copies of applications, any emails from potential employers. They're pretty strict about the work search requirement for education workers.

Full-time teachers under contract typically can't collect between terms, but substitutes are different because they're not under a continuing contract. The key distinction is whether you have reasonable assurance of returning to work.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you connected to NYS Department of Labor agents without the endless hold times. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get answers about my claim status.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. Did they actually help you reach someone?

That's encouraging! How long did your adjudication take? I'm worried about delays.

Mine took about 10 days which wasn't too bad. The key was having all my wage documentation ready when I filed. Since you worked regularly for two years you should be fine - just make sure you have your pay stubs or tax forms showing your substitute earnings. NYS Department of Labor processed mine pretty quickly once they had everything they needed.

This is really helpful advice! I'm also a substitute teacher and was hesitant about filing because I wasn't sure if I had enough documentation. Did you run into any issues with proving your wages since substitute pay can be so irregular? I'm wondering if I should gather W-2s from all the different school districts I've worked for or if there's an easier way to show my earnings to NYS Department of Labor.

@Fatima Al-Suwaidi I had the same concern about irregular wages! What worked for me was gathering all my pay stubs and W-2s from each district - it was a bit of a hassle but NYS Department of Labor needs to see the total wages from all employers during your base period. If you can t'find all your pay stubs, you can also request wage statements directly from the school districts payroll' departments. The online application will ask you to list each employer separately anyway, so having everything organized beforehand definitely speeds up the process.

This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same process! I was particularly worried about the "reasonable assurance" part since I've heard that can disqualify teachers, but it makes sense that substitutes are in a different category. Did NYS Department of Labor ask you any specific questions about whether you expected to return to subbing in the fall, or was it pretty straightforward once you explained you don't have a contract? Also, for the weekly work search requirement, were you able to apply for both substitute positions and other types of jobs, or did they want you to focus on education-related work?

@Kirsuktow DarkBlade This is exactly what I needed to hear! I ve'been hesitating to file because I wasn t'sure about that reasonable "assurance requirement." It s'good to know that substitutes are viewed differently than contracted teachers. Quick question - when you were doing your weekly work search, did you find that most employers were understanding about the fact that you d'likely return to substitute teaching in the fall? I m'worried potential employers might see me as a temporary worker and not want to hire someone who will leave in a few months.

This is such helpful advice, Keith! I'm actually in a very similar situation - substitute teacher for about the same length of time and really nervous about filing. Your point about keeping good records is spot on - I wish I had been more organized with tracking all my different assignments across multiple districts. Can I ask what kind of documentation NYS Department of Labor actually required during the application process? I have most of my pay stubs but I'm missing some from earlier in the year and wondering if that will be a problem. Also, when you mention applying to summer camps and tutoring centers, did those employers ever ask why you were looking for temporary work or did you just explain your situation upfront?

@Keith Davidson Thank you so much for sharing your experience! This gives me a lot more confidence about filing. I do have most of my documentation organized - pay stubs from the main districts I work with and my W-2 from last year. It s'reassuring to know that the irregular schedule isn t'automatically disqualifying. I m'definitely going to start putting together that employment history for the past 18 months like you mentioned. One more question - when you were doing your work search, did you find that explaining your substitute teaching background actually helped with some employers? I m'thinking places like summer camps or tutoring centers might actually see that experience as a plus, even if it s'temporary work.