Google Kept a Returning Army Reservist's Pay but Removed His Accounts, US Lawsuit Alleges

Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald announced that the US government has sued Google LLC, alleging it violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to reinstate Army reservist Mark Davisson to a comparable position after his military service.

Filed in Manhattan federal court, the complaint alleges Google did not return Davisson to the customer accounts he managed before taking military leave. When he returned in May 2023 after a year of military service, Google allegedly retained his salary and job title but stripped him of responsibilities that could have helped advance his career. Google disputes the allegations.

High-Profile Clients Taken Away

Before his deployment, Davisson spent approximately two and a half years as a key account executive at Google, overseeing major cloud services clients. His portfolio included asset manager BlackRock, hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, and the US business of the former Credit Suisse.

However, when Davisson returned in May 2023, Google allegedly refused to restore his customer accounts or assign him equivalent responsibilities. The complaint argues that losing those duties deprived him of opportunities for career advancement, despite his unchanged pay and title.

Google Reassigned Army Reservist Before Dismissing Him, Lawsuit Alleges

The dispute continued into January 2024, when Google reassigned Davisson to a cloud solutions position. According to the complaint, the new role still excluded responsibility for managing customer accounts, despite his previous experience handling major institutional clients.

Seven months later, Google dismissed Davisson as part of a broader workforce reduction after he had taken another period of military leave. Davisson, who received the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal, maintained a home in Charlotte, North Carolina, but lived and worked in Manhattan during his Google employment, according to the filing.

USERRA Protects Returning Military Reservists' Job Rights

At the centre of the dispute is the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, a federal law protecting eligible military personnel from employment discrimination based on their service and establishing reemployment rights after qualifying military leave.

Under USERRA, employees returning from more than 90 days of military service are generally entitled to the position they would have attained had they remained continuously employed, or one with comparable seniority, status, and pay, provided they meet the law's eligibility and qualification requirements.

Google disputes the allegations. 'We disagree with the claims in this complaint,' Google spokesman Atle Erlingsson told Reuters. 'Google takes compliance with employment laws, including USERRA, seriously and investigates allegations of workplace wrongdoing.'

Federal Prosecutors Seek Compensation

The Manhattan US Attorney's Office filed the lawsuit through its civil rights unit, with support from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump administration's top civil rights official. The government is seeking lost wages, benefits, and additional damages for Davisson. It also wants Google to adopt measures to prevent workplace discrimination, including improved employee training on protections under the USERRA.

'Federal law ensures that our brave soldiers, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe, are not punished by employers when they return to the civilian workforce after completing their military service,' US Attorney Jamie McDonald said. 'This Office is committed to enforcing USERRA's protections to ensure that service members like Lieutenant Colonel Mark Davisson receive the benefits to which they are legally entitled,' he added.