The Biden administration’s employment discrimination watchdog is suing a moving company for not hiring enough older workers.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Meathead Movers, a moving company based in California, alleging that the company refused to hire workers because of their age. The lawsuit was filed after the two sides failed to negotiate a settlement, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
In a press release announcing the lawsuit this autumn, the EEOC alleged that “since at least 2017, Meathead Movers has failed to recruit and hire applicants over the age of 40 for moving, packing, and customer service positions. Meathead maintains a pattern or practice of recruiting and hiring young college students and intentionally excluding older workers regardless of their individual abilities.”
According to the Journal, the EEOC began investigating Meathead Movers in 2017 on its own initiative, rather than after a complaint was filed by a member of the public, with the investigation focusing on marketing and hiring practices that it said discouraged older workers. As the two sides attempted to negotiate a settlement, the EEOC initially sought $15 million in damages before reducing that figure to $5 million, while Meathead offered $750,000 to settle, according to emails reviewed by the outlet.
Meathead has denied wrongdoing in its dispute with the EEOC. The company displays the slogan “student-athlete movers” on its moving trucks, and has social media posts showing workers lifting weights before going to work. Employees also compete in the internal Meathead Olympics and the company sponsors a wrestling tournament.
“We’re 100% open to hiring anyone of any age if they can do the job,” Meathead Movers owner Aaron Steed told the Journal. “People love working at Meathead, or they are put off by how hard it is. You have to move furniture and run to get more.”
“We had no idea we were doing anything wrong by being a moving company that hired a lot of students. We want to change and evolve, but we can’t agree to go out of business in the process,” Steed added.
The legal battle between the EEOC and Meathead Movers could signal more litigation and enforcement actions by the agency against companies and programmes that seek to recruit younger workers, including college students. It may prompt some companies to proactively rebrand to avoid legal challenges.
A similar moving company called College Hunks Hauling Junk told the Journal that “Hunks” stands for “Honest. Uniformed. Nice. Knowledgeable. Service” and had “nothing to do with targeting a college audience”.
EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, who was appointed by President Biden, wrote a message in May this year to mark Older Americans Month, saying the agency would “redouble our efforts” to address the challenges older Americans face in the workforce. Her message cited an AARP survey that found nearly two-thirds of older Americans believe age discrimination is common in the workplace.
“Employers who assume older workers are less capable than younger workers are ignoring the law and evidence to the contrary. Older workers are not only an integral part of most workplaces, but of the economy itself,” she added. “To deny a person the ability to work is to deny the opportunity for independence and fulfilment. The EEOC will continue its efforts to combat age discrimination and help ensure that all workers have the chance to contribute to the economy and enjoy equal employment opportunities in the workplace.”
