She also claims denied raises, a manipulated PIP, and race discrimination
A Liberty Mutual employee says her supervisor told her, point blank, that her performance problems were tied to her taking FMLA leave.
Amia B. Cook, a remote call center representative based in Spring Hill, Florida, filed a federal lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Group, Inc. on April 13, laying out a series of allegations that should give any HR department pause. The case, Cook v. Liberty Mutual Group, Inc. (Case No. 5:26-cv-00268, M.D. Fla.), is still in its early stages and no determination has been made on the merits.
Cook started at Liberty Mutual in November 2021 as a Primary PAG representative and, by all accounts in the filing, did well. She received automatic promotions in March 2022 and November 2023, along with consistent annual raises — until things took a turn.
In 2024, Cook became pregnant and went on approved FMLA leave from April through December. She gave birth approximately six weeks early in September 2024, requiring extended time away. According to the lawsuit, the trouble started when she came back.
Cook alleges that her supervisor, Elizabeth Gatto, ramped up scrutiny of her work after she returned from leave. More notably, she claims Gatto told her outright that her performance issues were "due to me being on FMLA" and "since I was on that protected leave." If true, that is the kind of statement that keeps employment lawyers busy and HR leaders up at night.
In late July 2025, Cook...
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