Employees working from home during the coronavirus pandemic claimed some outlandish expenses this year, including pricey exercise bikes, facelifts and private jets.
Emburse, an expense management software company, released a compilation Wednesday of some of the craziest expenses it has seen claimed this year, some of which were actually approved. That included $1,895, which was approved as a contribution for an employee's Peloton Bike under the explanation of “for health and wellness.” On the other hand, a $7,600 expense claim for a facelift was submitted under the category of “repairs and maintenance” but was rejected, despite the pressing need to look one’s best during a Zoom meeting.
Jesse Coffee is a founder and wealth advisor with the Sanders Coffee Group, an independent firm affiliated with True Private Wealth Advisors. Follow him on Twitter @JesseCoffee
IIya Pupko is chief architect at Jitterbit.
As head of technology in North America, Jonny is responsible for championing and progressing ThoughtWorks’ brand as an outstanding technology organization for its clients, employees and the industry at large. Jonny is tasked with expanding the surface area of new technology offerings and capabilities that ThoughtWorks can bring to the market, while maintaining and progressing the culture and craft that lies at the company’s core. He championed the introduction of Mobile and IoT capabilities into the business, and is currently shepherding the embedding of security thinking and practices into the software delivery culture. He is a vociferous participant in framing and progressing ThoughtWorks’ technology strategy, with particular focus on ensuring that the wider societal consequences of technological progress are factored in.
Some expenses weren’t for working from home, but more about getting out of the house safely. An expense claim for a private jet charter costing over $20,000 was submitted and approved under the explanation of “required to limit COVID exposure for international shoots.” Another travel-related expense claim was $2,500 for a helicopter ride, which was not approved.
The $79 expense claim for a dog crate could perhaps be used for travel at some point when that's safer, but in these times it was more plausibly to provide "crate training [for] a new COVID puppy to not run into Zoom meetings."
Below is an infographic produced by Emburse showing this and several other head-scratching claims:
