Go on and think, long and hard about if you WANT to turn down this offer. Remember, jobs are not easy to find. Lots of companies are being bought out, are closing, etc. Very few are making offers and adding to their staff. However this works, if you don't get the offer, or do not take the offer after getting it, you're looking at six months of unemployment at best. It is very likely that there will be no federal extensions that would push your weeks of receiving benefits out much longer. So six months from now, you'll have nothing. No job and no unemployment. Are you sure that at that time the jobs will be there to replace what you have had?
I am also very interested in whether or not you're actually going to GET an offer, when you're six months or so pregnant, pretty obviously pregnant, in other words. Employers will swear to you that they do not discriminate, but it is usually pretty difficult for people to find another job while pregnant. Any employer who's going to hire you knows they are looking for at least six weeks or so of leave somewhere in the immediate future for you.
As I'm hearing this, the offer from the "new employer" who's buying out your old company must be moving people they're hiring from the old company to a new location, right? So you're saying that you're going to get an offer, to do whatever your job is in your "department" but you're going to be in another facility? So they're moving the whole operation, lock stock and barrel to another location further away from you? And the salary will not be equivalent?
If you really want to not take it, assuming you do get the job offer and do not want to take it, then just refuse it. Get your severance package on Friday, and your separation letter. Your company has been bought out, and is closing. That is the reason you are laid off. After Saturday of this week, file a claim for unemployment benefits. You'll put down that you are let go due to lack of work, company closing. If they ask you some questions related to, "Is there any reason why you could not accept another job immediately?" you need to tell them, on no uncertain terms, that you are fully able, available, and ready to accept another job immediately. If you say there is a reason, because you are pregnant and do not want to work again till after your baby is born, you will have just disqualified yourself from receiving unemployment benefits, regardless of whether you got another offer this week or not. Get that established right away.
If you do turn down this other job, you need to tell the unemployment office that yes, you have been offered another job this week. Tell them you did not accept the offer because you would be required to commute to another work site that is xxx miles further than your most recent job. Tell them, if it is true, that the job will pay less than your current job. They'll contact the new employer and investigate. If you tell them(the employer) you don't want to work right now because you're pregnant, they'll pass that on to the unemployment system, and if will be likely that will not be considered a valid reason to refuse an offer of work, and you'll be probably disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits.
The unemployment office will always do an inquiry about the job offer, and the reason you refused the job offer, and when the employer says you turned it down because you are pregnant, the goose is cooked, as far as you being approved for benefits. You aren't able, available and actively seeking equivalent work.
Equivalent work means the same type work, in approximately the same sort of circumstances, for approximately the same type of compensation. Remember that when you began work at your present position, you probably were making less, and have received raises since then. Is it really less money? How far are you traveling to work now?
So if you receive this offer tomorrow, and decide to turn it down, come next week, when you file for benefits, you'll of course have to answer all the questions honestly. Discuss this because if you decide not to mention the job offer, your new employer will probably mention it anyway. When they buy a company, the new business buys the unemployment rate of the old company. They're not happy about laying off and allowing to receive unemployment a large number of the old company's employees, especially if they've offered these former employees work with the new company and it has been turned down because the separated employees want some time off.
While they do not have total say about the approval of your claim, it will be considered at length if they've offered you work that is judged to be fairly equivalent and you have refused it.
I can't say, "Yes, you'll be approved!" or "No, you won't be approved!" but unemployment is related to the circumstances of the individual case and the unemployment laws. This is just a general idea of how it might work. My advice? Wait and see if you get the job offer. Then start from there. IF you get it, do you want it? Even if you didn't have unemployment, do you not want it still? If you are going to refuse the job and file an unemployment claim, assume you will receive no payments for about six to eight weeks in the best of circumstances. Maybe longer, maybe not at all, if they decide against you. You can, of course, appeal, and this is a long and drawn out process, so think now about it.
