NY A07959

Amends Labor Law Section 524 to clarify that employees working night shifts continuing through midnight are deemed employed on the day the shift begins, except for night shift workers regularly starting at 7 PM or later on Sunday nights, whose Sunday start times count as Monday.

Modifies benefit charge calculations in Section 581 by replacing "first seven effective weeks of benefits" language with "benefit paid for seven weeks of total employment" for educational institutions, federal employers, and out-of-state employers.

Repeals paragraph (d) of subdivision 5 of Section 590 and removes language requiring claimants to be "unable to engage in usual employment or any other for which reasonably fitted" from Section 591 unemployment definitions.

Adds new Section 31 establishing that partial unemployment benefits are calculated by counting "days of total unemployment" based on hours worked: hours are divided by 10 per day (capped at 10 hours per day), with thresholds ranging from 10-16 hours equaling one day of employment up to 30+ hours equaling four days of employment.

Makes most provisions effective April 1, 2022 or 30 days after the Commissioner of Labor certifies the department has adequate IT systems, with Section 31 effective 30 days after enactment for new claims only.