The US Department of Justice said it had filed the lawsuit on behalf of Mark Davisson, a US Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who returned to Google in May 2023 after a year of active duty.The Google logo is seen outside the company's offices. Google is facing a lawsuit from the US government over allegations that it failed to restore a former employee to an equivalent position after he returned from military service, potentially violating federal employment protections for service members.The US Department of Justice said it had filed the lawsuit on behalf of Mark Davisson, a US Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who returned to Google in May 2023 after a year of active duty.When Davisson returned from military leave in May 2023, Google allegedly did not assign him any customer accounts.

Although he retained his pay and job title, the move deprived him of opportunities to advance his career, the lawsuit claims.WHAT THE LAWSUIT ALLEGESAccording to the Justice Department, Davisson joined Google in December 2019 as a key account executive, leading Google Cloud sales initiatives for financial services clients. By January 2022, he was managing accounts for BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates and Credit Suisse.Davisson was ordered to report for active duty in May 2022 and served at US Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

After returning to Google a year later, he was not restored to his previous accounts or assigned any other customer accounts, the complaint alleges. He was subsequently moved to a separate team and dismissed as part of a workforce reduction affecting that team, according to the lawsuit.US SEEKS REINSTATEMENT, COMPENSATIONThe case has been brought under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), which protects the employment rights of people returning from military service."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."The lawsuit seeks Davisson's reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and liquidated damages.Davisson joined the Army Reserve in 2004 and has received a Bronze Star for service in Iraq and a Meritorious Service Medal for service in Afghanistan.Google had not issued a statement or provided a clarification on the lawsuit at the time of writing.- Ends