US sues Google over job reinstatement claim by Army reservist

The U.S. government has sued Google, alleging that the company failed to return an employee to a comparable role after he completed a year of military service as an Army reservist.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, says Mark Davisson was restored to his previous pay and title when he returned to Google in May 2023, but was not given responsibility for a customer account or equivalent advancement opportunities. The allegations have not been tested at trial.

Complaint centers on Google Cloud sales role

Davisson joined Google in 2019 as a Key Account Executive in the Google Cloud financial-services group. According to the complaint, he managed accounts for BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates and the U.S. business of Credit Suisse before taking approved military leave from May 2022 to May 2023 at Army Cyber Command in Georgia.

The filing says another employee handled those accounts during his absence. After Davisson returned, Google allegedly kept that employee in the role and left Davisson without defined job responsibilities for about six months. In January 2024, he was assigned to a digital-assets sales team, but the complaint says he supported account managers rather than managing a customer account himself.

Termination and legal claims

During a second period of approved military leave in 2024, Google allegedly told Davisson he would be terminated in a workforce reduction unless he found another internal position. The complaint says he applied for about 10 jobs after returning but was not offered one, and that Google terminated him on Aug. 27, 2024.

The lawsuit invokes the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA. The law generally provides that eligible service members returning after extended military service should be reemployed in the job they would have held or in a position of like seniority, status and pay.

The government seeks a declaration that Google violated the law, reinstatement as a Key Account Executive or in a comparable role, lost wages and benefits, interest, and potentially liquidated damages. It also asks the court to order workplace policies and training related to USERRA. Google did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

What the filing establishes

The complaint records the government’s allegations and requested remedies; it does not establish that Google violated USERRA. The case was filed after a Labor Department veterans’ employment investigation, according to the filing, which says investigators advised Google in June 2025 that it was in violation.

Sources

• Reuters report — reporting on the lawsuit, Davisson’s roles, alleged treatment after leave and Google’s lack of an immediate comment.
• U.S. District Court complaint published by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York — filing date, employment history, military leave periods, allegations, USERRA claim and requested relief.