Anthropic tells employees to stay at home over strike warning, says do not come to office

Anthropic has asked employees at its San Francisco offices to work from home after its security contractor warned of a possible strike. The union representing the workers, however, says no strike has been called this week.Anthropic tells employees to stay at home over strike warning, says do not come to officeAnthropic has temporarily told employees in San Francisco to avoid coming into its offices, after a potential labour dispute involving the company’s security staff raised concerns about workplace safety. The Claude maker has asked its San Francisco employees to work from home on Monday and Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.The precaution follows a notice from Allied Universal, Anthropic’s security staffing provider, warning that its workers could potentially walk off the job. There is currently no indication that a strike has been called at Anthropic. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents Allied’s security workers, said it has not authorised a strike vote and has not announced any strike action for this week.The union has instead been involved in contract negotiations with Allied and other security companies across California since April. The talks cover issues including pay, healthcare and training for security personnel. The situation puts Anthropic in a position where it has chosen to keep employees away from the workplace before any strike has actually taken place.Allied Universal has also not confirmed whether its employees will strike. A company spokesperson said, “We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain focused on maintaining safe and reliable operations.” AI companies face growing security concernsThe incident comes at a time when physical security has become a more prominent issue for leading AI companies. Anthropic has expanded quickly as demand for generative AI continues to grow, putting the company and its employees under greater public attention.Security concerns are not limited to Anthropic. The Wall Street Journal has previously reported on threats involving employees at Anthropic and OpenAI. The latest situation also affects Anthropic’s normal office routine. The company operates on a hybrid model, with its job listings generally requiring employees to spend at least a quarter of their working time in an office. For San Francisco staff, the temporary instruction means avoiding the workplace altogether on the affected days. Whether the arrangement continues will depend on developments between Allied and its workers.The security issue arrives as Anthropic is going through one of the most important phases of its expansion. The company is competing with OpenAI, Google and other major technology firms for AI talent, customers and investment.It is also moving closer to potentially becoming a publicly traded company. Anthropic reportedly submitted a confidential S-1 draft in June and could file for an initial public offering as soon as August. Anthropic's shares have reportedly been changing hands on secondary markets at prices implying a valuation of up to $1.5 trillion, although that is different from the company's latest official funding valuation.- EndsPublished By: Ankita GargPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 12:31 IST