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can i receive unemployment benefits if my hours have been reduced?


(nassau county, ny)

i've been working full time at a dr's office for 10 months (part time at the same office prior to that). I'm considered a "floater" where i work at front desk/receptionist, as a technician working up patients & administering tests, as a typist (for dictation letters), water the lawn when asked, make bank deposits on occasion, type up/research info for dr, perform personal tasks for the dr (i.e pick up personal xrays, bring personal laptap for repair) AND i also waitress 2 nites a week. 2.5 weeks ago my employer informed me he was reducing my hours to P/T b/c i do not get enough letters typed so he was going to outsource that portion of my job. we disagree on the reasons (i say scheduling-i.e.if scheduled to be receptionist, it's difficult to listen to dictation and type while answering phones, scheduling appts, preparing reports, updating charts as opposed to being a tester, where i will administer a test for 10-20min, then type for 15-60min at a time - and he says i'm too social - he has a camera in one office where i've explained that he can watch and see the work i'm doing, and if i'm talking, it's usually when i'm copying the letters, stuffing envelopes or inserting copies in charts, and that everyone else in the office including and especially the manager socially talks)). besides barely being able to pay bills as is, he's decreased my hrs from 37-40 hrs per wk to 20-22hrs, plus i now lose the healthcare benefits and have to pay the full cost of the insurance. he's hired another staff member whose position as a technician takes away from work i could be doing (i was told i'd be trained to refract - only task as a tech i do not know how

to perform-and have yet to be given the time in the schedule to be trained for it). but according to the online unemployment i must make gross under 405 per week or work less than 4 days a week. i don't meet this criteria but don't understand where the criteria arises. after taxes i'm not able now to pay rent, healthcare, car insurance, phone bill, student & personal loans, mechanic, past credit card bill, prescriptions etc. i'm not eligible for subsidized cobra b/c i've only had involuntary reduced hours not involuntarily laid off. Dr. knows i gave up shifts waitressing/bartending b/c he asked me to work full time and was going to give me health insurance. i know i'm all over the place, but how am i supposed to survice when gross b/w the 2 jobs shows 500+ but after taxes & healthcare costs i'm left with hardly enough to put gas in the car to get to my jobs? why don't i meet criteria for ny state unemployment benefits??





Hi,

$405 is NY's maximum weekly benefit amount .. doesn't matter if you made 2000 a week that's all unemployment will give.

You're still working and the only unemployment you're entitled to is "partial benefits.

Partial benefits will not be an available option if you make more than the maximum weekly benefit amount in 20-22 hours or any amount of hours which is less than full-time.

Your employer can do as he pleases. He is not breaking any law if he reduces your hours .. reduces your pay, or decides you're just to social to keep as a full-time employee because you're too social.

Gross wages are all that matter and you make more than the max weekly benefit amount.

Your financial hardship has nothing to do with receiving unemployment benefits.

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