[New York] Laid off months ago, now former employer is contesting my claim saying they fired me for misconduct.
Hi. When I was laid off, it was an in-person meeting in the last 20 minutes of the workday saying they were ending their contract with a large client that happened to be assigned to me and a partner. Because of this, there was "not enough work to keep everyone". They were deciding for a month which of us to let go and decided on me.
I filed for unemployment benefits for "lack of work". Three months later as I've been studying for a certification exam for my professional development before starting a new job search, I got a letter from the Department of Labor saying my former employer claims they fired me for my attendance. While I was guilty of not good attendance and could have been fired at any point in the two years I was there, they are changing their story as to why I was let go.
Almost everyone (6 out of 7) was late to work. I know this does not excuse my latenesses but then why just lay me off then if they claim that was their reason? They even offered to be a reference for me in my job search. Why offer to be a reference if I was fired for my attendance?
I emailed my former bosses to clarify this and they haven't responded.
I received a questionnaire asking for more information from me and all I could give were texts from a coworker saying that the manager announced my getting laid off, them not getting enough work from that client as proof. Also, an email between my former boss and I about what contact info he'd prefer when listed as a reference.
What else can I do here?