AT&T asks all employees to work from home if they can due to coronavirus

AT&T is asking all of its employees who have the ability to work remotely to do so until further notice, as the coronavirus spreads across the globe.

The company will be announcing new procedures and safeguards for employees who can't work from home, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in a note sent to employees Friday. AT&T is one of the largest employers in the United States, and has 245,000 global employees.

"One of our core values is to be there when people need us most ... whether it's our customers, our colleagues or our communities," Stephenson said in the memo. "Now is one of those times for us to be there. And we will."

The move comes as companies prepare for the potential spread of COVID-19. In the United States, there's at least 1,701 confirmed cases and at least 40 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Tech companies are increasingly asking their employees to work remotely in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Amazon on Thursday told all of its employees globally to stay home throughout the month of March. Twitter is also requiring its 4,900 employees to work from home, while Google has asked most of its global workforce to do so.