Meathead Movers sued by federal government
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing San Luis Obispo-based Meathead Movers for alleged age discrimination.
Filed on Sept. 29, the EEOC claims that “since at least 2017, Meathead Movers failed to recruit and hire applicants over 40 into moving, packing and customer service positions,” it said in a press release.
Meathead Movers is the largest independent moving company in California with more than 700 employees, 120 trucks, three storage facilities and six operation centers across Central and Southern California, with plans to expand in the future.
In an average year, the company conducts about 15,000 moves and has about 2,500 mini-storage units under management.
According to the federal entity, the accusations involve insufficient hiring of older workers, with many allegations stemming from marketing and hiring practices that may discourage older workers from applying.
“Excluding older workers based on their age for marketing purposes is unlawful,” Anna Park, regional attorney for the Los Angeles District Office, said in a press release. “Employers should remember that setting criteria and recruiting based on a person’s age violates federal law.”
The company was founded 26 years ago by Aaron Steed. In a 2022 interview with the Business Times, Steed said his inspiration to start the company stemmed from wanting to help people move out of their homes.
“I saw this as an opportunity to become successful through this because it was the most valuable problem I could solve as a young, willing man,” Steed said.
Meathead Movers did not immediately respond to request for comment.
