Can I still collect?

I'm an actor in NY, and often take side work to fill in the downtime. I recently took a job with a gym as a personal trainer, but had to quit when the hours interfered with my ability to take paid acting work. Since quitting, of course, the acting work has slowed down again, and I need to get back on unemployment.

I'm quite sure that I've been ineligible to do so in the month since I left them based on the fact that I quit the gym voluntarily. However, since then I have had a day or two of extra work on a commercial, and I feel that I am once again eligible to collect based on the short-term nature of the work (citing "lack of work" as a reason).

Your thoughts?



After you quit a job without good cause .. if that is the case. You cannot collect unemployment from a new or existing reopened claim until you purge the voluntary quit disqualification.

In New York .. that is subsequent work after the disqualifying quit of 3 days work in each of 5 weeks and to earn at least 5 x your WBA (weekly benefit amount). This is how you can "purge" the disqualification.

As to whether you had good cause to quit that job to accept other work, maybe. The NY interpretive index of unemployment issues will be helpful.

The The comparison chartbooks at the USDOL said that NY interprets the quitting for the "other work" issue .. those same chartbooks have all the disqualifications .. state by state.