Anthropic instructed employees at its San Francisco offices to work from home on Monday and Tuesday after receiving notice that security staff supplied by Allied Universal might strike, according to a person familiar with the matter. Anthropic declined to comment on the remote-work directive, and Allied Universal did not respond to requests for comment. Anthropic generally requires employees to work in an office at least 25% of the time under its hybrid policy, according to its job postings. The Service Employees International Union, which represents Allied Universal workers, said it had not called a strike-authorization vote or threatened a strike for that week. SEIU said it remains in prolonged negotiations with Allied Universal and other California security companies. The union, which represents thousands of California security workers, has sought a new contract since April and is pursuing higher pay, improved healthcare, and more comprehensive job training. Security spending has increased across the technology industry in recent years, while Anthropic and OpenAI have faced several threats against employees, The Wall Street Journal reported. Anthropic filed a confidential S-1 draft in June and is expected to file for an initial public offering as early as August.

Remote work has increased from 7% of American workers in 2019 to 28% in 2023. A 2024 survey indicates that 55% of workers believe hybrid work is optimal for their mental health.

Stricter return-to-office policies may not lead to increased productivity, as data shows organizations with flexible, remote-first models experience stronger output, healthier engagement, and faster growth. Reports from the Institute for Corporate Productivity support the benefits of flexible work arrangements over mandated office attendance.