California moving company Meathead Movers is sued for promoting its young, buff staff as Biden's age-discrimination commissioners crack down on employers amid America's ageing workforce

A California moving company that uses student athletes as movers is being sued for violating age-discrimination laws. 

Meathead Movers, a company that prides itself on using clean-cut youthful workers, is being pursued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 

The Fresno based business is said to have failed to recruit and hire workers over 40 into positions within the company.

Employment lawyers and trade groups have said the case will shine a light on how the agency plan to approach antidiscrimination laws, after President Biden appointed commissioners to tackle the problem. 

Many of the allegations from the EEOC say that Meathead Movers focus marketing and hiring that might discourage older workers from applying. 

Images from their website and social media show movers for the company are all relatively young people who are physically fit. 

Employees also compete in the Meathead Olympics in which they compete against each other by assembling and jumping over boxes. 

Workers are frequently pictured with biceps, and are seen jogging from a truck to a house when not carrying any furniture. 

According to the EEOC, current employees are asked to scour local gyms, colleges and places where they would frequent to pick up new employees. 

The agency had started an investigation into the company in 2017 on its own back, and not from a complaint. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the agency and Meathead Movers had attempted to negotiate a settlement in their case. 

The outlet reported that the EEOC had wanted around $15 million from the company, before dropping this to $5 million. Meathead Movers offered to settle for $750,000. 

Speaking to the WSJ, company owner Aaron Steed said: 'We are 100% open to hiring anyone at any age if they can do the job.

'People love working at Meathead, or they are turned off by how hard it is. You have to move furniture and run to get more.'

Steed added: 'We had no idea we were doing anything wrong by being a moving company that hires a lot of student athletes. 

'We want to change and evolve, but we can’t agree to go out of business doing it.'

Collin Flynn, founder of Iowa-based UniMovers, told the WSJ that students make great employees with schedules that fit the industry.

He also added that due to the job being physically demanding, having physically fit young people works best. 

He said: 'They know they are going to get young people with strong backs, and they are going to be moving quick. We charge by the hour.'

Meanwhile Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, said age-related lawsuits could make companies less likely to higher older people due to them being a liability risk. 

He told the outlet: 'It is the most counterproductive of all the major areas of discrimination law.  It makes them less employable late in their careers because they are known as litigation dangers.'

Anna Park, regional attorney for the Los Angeles District Office, said: 'Excluding older workers based on their age for marketing purposes is unlawful.

'Employers should remember that setting criteria and recruiting based on a person’s age violates federal law.'

Los Angeles District Director Christine Park-Gonzalez commented: 'The incorrect and unfair assumptions that someone cannot perform a job because of their age, or that clients would prefer younger workers ,are the impetus behind the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. 

'The EEOC will continue to ensure an even playing field for applicants and employees in the workplace.'

The focus by the Biden administration on age discrimination comes as America's workforce ages, with nearly a quarter of workers being 55 and older. 

The Labor Department estimates that the number of people aged 65 and older in the workforce will grow by a third over the next decade.