Why don't more employers allow their employees to work from home?

Question

I can understand for jobs that absolutely need you to be there (doctor, construction,etc), but I'm talking about customer service, executive assistants, and other office jobs.

Benefits to employers:

-lower costs (less real estate, utilities, transportation compensation)

Benefits to employees:

-lower costs (day care, gas, food)

-spend time with family, no commute.

Answer 1

Lack of trust.

Answer 2

In my experience most employees are not self directed enough to work without the direct supervision that comes from being in the office.  Then there is the synergy and communications that come from normal in office interactions. As cost of doing business increases and technology advances there will be more telecommuting

Answer 3

becasue they will sleep and watch tv the entire time.. its called work atmosphere and office management.

Answer 4

Good question!

I have a job that could easily be done from home and would love it.

But it's against "company policy"!

If anyone knows of a good "at-home" job please share!

Answer 5

The employer benefits from the collegial discussions, from the relationships co-workers form, from the trust that develops.  The best ideas a company has all come from the employees who discuss thinks over coffee, who trust each other well enough to ask dumb questions and to speculate on crazy solutions.