Salesforce is now encouraging all its employees across California to work remotely during the month of March as concerns grow over the spread of coronavirus.

"We've made this decision out of an abundance of caution and in service to protecting our employees, their families and our communities," the company said in a statement on Saturday. "During this time, we will continue to pay our vendor hourly service providers, who are an important part of our family."



Salesforce is San Francisco's largest private employer, with more than 7,000 employees in the city.



The decision comes three days after California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency following a coronavirus-related death in the state.

Salesforce asked employees in Washington state to also work remotely on Wednesday, citing safety concerns.

"Out of an abundance of caution and aligned with King County recommendations, we are encouraging all Salesforce and Tableau employees based in our Seattle, Kirkland and Bellevue offices to work remotely for the month of March," the company said on Wednesday.

Tech companies including Facebook, Amazon and Twitter have also asked employees to work from home in the Seattle area. Washington state governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency on Feb. 29.

"As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, we have a heightened awareness at Salesforce of our responsibility to our employees, customers, and partners. This includes doing our part to to help prevent further outbreaks," the company said on Wednesday.

Salesforce has also implemented other precautionary measures, including prohibiting cross border travel, restricting most domestic travel and replacing in-person events with digital ones.