UKG in Claude Makes AI Work Beyond the Chat

The biggest payoff from AI may not be individual productivity, but how well businesses run. UKG in Claude is bringing AI to workforce decisions that shape costs, retention, and growth.

LOWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UKG, the AI-first Workforce Operating Platform for HR, payroll, and workforce management, today announced the beta availability of UKG in Claude, bringing together Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, with UKG's deep knowledge of how businesses run their workforce operations. The goal is simple: help organizations move from asking AI questions to making better decisions and getting work done. And the benefits can reach far beyond the people using Claude.

“The frontline drives the top line, and workforce turnover can take a huge bite out of the bottom line. For CEOs, that's not just an HR problem. It's a business problem,” said Jennifer Morgan, CEO at UKG. “Workers want more flexibility and control, while businesses need to attract and keep great people. With UKG in Claude, we're bringing AI into the everyday workforce decisions that can help companies grow, cut costs, and make work better for their people.”

“The most powerful applications of AI will combine advanced reasoning with a deep understanding of how businesses actually work,” said Mike Boufford, Head of People Products at Anthropic. “With UKG in Claude, a leader can get answers without waiting days for a report. They ask a question in plain language, and Claude works through the company’s own UKG data to explain what changed, why, and where. Claude follows the permissions and rules the company already has in UKG, and the leader makes the call.”

Better Decisions for Businesses. Better Work for People.

UKG has spent nearly 50 years helping businesses manage and support their frontline employees. Now, Claude brings a new way to use that expertise, helping leaders see what's happening across their workforce, understand their options, and take action faster.

Imagine a COO overseeing 500 locations. Each has different staffing needs, labor costs, and day-to-day challenges. With UKG in Claude, that leader can ask a question like why overtime spiked across one region. Claude pulls the answer from UKG’s workforce data, reasons across schedules, hours, pay rules, and labor policies. It then explains what may be driving the change, which locations and roles are affected, and what actions UKG’s platform allows within the organization’s rules. The leader makes the call with the full picture in front of them instead of waiting days for a report.

Or consider a CHRO responsible for hundreds of thousands of employees. UKG in Claude can help that leader better understand workforce trends, identify potential problems, and explore ways to improve retention and employee experiences.

The benefits don't stop with the executives using Claude. Better decisions can mean more predictable schedules, fewer disruptions, and managers with more time to support their teams. Customers then benefit from better service.

“What if you could get work done without ever opening the software that makes it happen?” said Suresh Vittal, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at UKG. “That's the benefit for customers with our extensible AI strategy. People will increasingly use AI tools like Claude to ask for what they need, while UKG underpins the entire system to understand the request, follow business rules, and get the work done.”

Bringing AI Into the Tools Businesses Use

Businesses shouldn't have to start over every time a new AI tool comes along. They should be able to build on the information, business rules, and systems they already trust.

Now in beta, UKG in Claude connects Claude with UKG's workforce AI platform through a connector built on Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI to business systems. It uses the same foundation behind the next generation of UKG Bryte, helping businesses ask workforce questions in natural language, using their own workforce data, then taking supported action.

The opportunity goes beyond another AI application: it's making the intelligence businesses already depend on more useful wherever work happens.

Supporting Resources

• Learn more about UKG and our leading global AI platform for HR, pay, and workforce management.
• Follow UKG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is UKG in Claude?

UKG in Claude is a beta offering, announced October 20, 2026, that connects Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, with UKG's workforce AI platform. Leaders can ask workforce questions in plain language. Claude answers using the company's own UKG data and explains what changed, why, and where.

What can leaders do with UKG in Claude?

Leaders can ask questions like "why did overtime spike in one region?" Claude reasons across schedules, hours, pay rules, and labor policies. It explains what's driving the change, which locations and roles are affected, and what actions UKG's platform allows within the organization's rules. The leader then makes the decision.

How does UKG in Claude connect to UKG data?

It uses a connector built on Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI to business systems. The connector links Claude to UKG's workforce AI platform. It's the same foundation behind the next generation of UKG Bryte, UKG's AI offering.

Does Claude follow a company's existing permissions and rules in UKG?

Yes. Anthropic's Mike Boufford said Claude follows the permissions and rules a company already has in UKG. Businesses keep their existing rules and controls in place, and the leader makes the final call.

Who is UKG in Claude built for?

It's built for leaders who make workforce decisions that affect costs, retention, and growth. The release gives two examples: a COO overseeing 500 locations and a CHRO responsible for hundreds of thousands of employees. Better decisions can also mean more predictable schedules, fewer disruptions, and managers with more time for their teams.

Can AI take action in UKG, or does it only answer questions?

Both. UKG in Claude answers workforce questions and can take supported actions. Those actions are governed by what UKG's platform allows within the organization's own work rules and controls.

Why did UKG and Anthropic build UKG in Claude?

Businesses shouldn't have to start over each time a new AI tool arrives. UKG in Claude lets them build on the data, business rules, and systems they already trust. Customers can use AI tools like Claude to ask for what they need while UKG handles the request, follows business rules, and gets the work done.

What is UKG?

UKG is the AI-first Workforce Operating Platform that unifies HR, payroll, and workforce management for frontline work. More than 80,000 organizations worldwide use UKG to run their workforce. UKG has spent 50 years supporting frontline employees. Learn more at ukg.com.

About UKG

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform with unified HR, payroll, and workforce management, built to solve the unique challenges of frontline work. Powered by people-first AI and decades of labor data, UKG turns workforce intelligence into real-time decisions around staffing, pay, compliance, and productivity, enabling every worker to confidently take action as work happens. That’s why more than 80,000 organizations worldwide trust UKG to run their workforce — not just manage it. Learn more at ukg.com.

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