I just found out that my company, located in Maryland, is outsourcing several positions, including mine, as of the end of April (at the latest). I am currently 12 weeks pregnant, but have not told anyone at my job of my pregnancy yet. I know I cannot claim discrimination for being laid off since they did not know I was pregnant. Although we will be getting a severence package and staying bonus for staying until the lay off, can I legally negotiate for some compensation to cover the short term disability benefits/pay I will lose because of the lay off? Anywhere I am hired next will require I be there for a year before I can get STD benefits...not to mention how diffucult it will be to have to interview at 5 months pregnant! Who will want to hire me? Just looking for some advise on how to handle my situation...

You can try to negotiate for anything you want. No law prohibits you from trying.

However, no law requires your employer to accede to your requests, either. If what you are asking is whether or not your employer is required by law to provide you with such compensation, the answer is no, they are not.

I'm not saying don't try; I'm saying don't push the issue to the point where they withdraw the offer they have already made. They aren't legally obligated to provide you with anything at all beyond pay for any hours you actually work.

Agreed. Bear in mind that potential employers can not refuse to hire you because you are pregnant. I'll grant you that proving that was the reason you were not chosen isn't easy, but it is something to keep in mind during your job search.

While FMLA requires you to have been there a year before being eligible, STD policies vary from company to company. There are also plenty of employers that offer leave of absences for those who do not qualify for FMLA. It isn't required by law, but many do anyway.