"Full Time Freelance" Can Now Receive Unemployment Benefits

Normally, as freelance, you would not qualify for unemployment. I was working 60+ hour weeks at the office, no benefits, no sick time, etc… and expected to do more hours. After exactly 1 year, I was dismissed because the company policy was to hire after 1 year or get a replacement. Fortunately, I had full documentation of my hours and pay stubs going back the entire year and was able to prove that I had no other work opportunities because of their monopolization of my time.

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The NYDOL is now aware of this practice being very prevalent in the fashion industry. They will help you.

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Are you saying you can collect UI while freelancing?

You can’t collect UI while freelancing – but you can collect if your f/t contract gig dries up. For example, you’re freelance and reporting to an office site and working 40hrs / week. As long as you can prove that during your time there, you had no free time to work for anyone else. I worked for a company that wouldn’t give me an official f/t position with benefits and PTO, however, I worked 60-70 hours/wk for 11 months and had no opportunity to take on other projects…

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