Yes, you can refuse, but if you do, they may be able to fire you "for cause" for insubordination and/or for not following your employer's instructions or doing the job/duties/hours they tell you to do the employer has a right to change your hours, duties and compensation at will, so refusing what they tell you to do can be considered grounds for being fired for cause. Alternately, they could treat your refusal to do the job they tell you to do as resignation. In either event, if they fire you for cause or treat your refusal as a resignation, you would be ineligible for unemployment. Note nothing requires an employer to take you back or keep you at a certain wage--your employer, after all, may reduce an employee's pay at will. You may be off taking the change to full time while looking for a new job.