Anthropic asks San Francisco staff to work from home as security goes on strike
Anthropic asked employees at its San Francisco offices to work from home on Monday and Tuesday after security contractor Allied Universal warned of a possible strike by its guards. The SEIU, which represents those workers, says it has called no strike authorisation vote and issued no strike threat this week. The union has been negotiating with California security firms over wages and healthcare…
Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, instructed its San Francisco employees to work from home on Monday and Tuesday due to a potential security strike. The warning came from Allied Universal, the security contractor that supplies the company's personnel. However, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents the guards, stated that no strike is being authorized and has not issued any strike threat for the week.
This has left Anthropic's San Francisco offices empty for two days, despite Anthropic not being part of the ongoing negotiations with Allied Universal for higher wages, improved healthcare, and broader job training for their security staff. Anthropic declined to comment on the work-from-home instruction, while Allied Universal would not disclose what it communicated to the company.
The timing of this decision is peculiar given Anthropic's general policy of a hybrid work setup that requires employees to be in the office at least 25% of the time. This move also aligns with a broader trend in the tech industry where security spending has significantly increased and companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have faced threats against their employees.
Anthropic is currently in a sensitive period as it prepares for an IPO, with secondary-market investors valuing it at around $1.5 trillion.
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