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.
Josh Migdal is partner with th Florida boutique litigation law firm Mark Migdal & Hayden. As a trusted counselor and assertive commercial litigator, Josh represents clients in multiple jurisdictions and is known for his work on behalf of the FDIC in the wake of the mortgage meltdown.
Christopher Rentrop is professor of business information technology and controlling at UAS Constance, in Germany.
Mike Fleck is vice president of security at Covata Limited, where he is responsible for managing and directing US operations and brand awareness, credibility and thought leadership related to data security and privacy. He joined Covata in 2017, by way of acquisition. In 2010, he co-founded CipherPoint Software and has since served as its CEO. In efforts to remove the complexity often accompanying cybersecurity, Mike is driving his clients to focus on reducing risk, not administering products. With nearly 15 years of experience in data security and encryption, Mike holds patents for transparent encryption and automated encryption key management. His vast experience with complex Fortune 500 and Federal Government environments includes leadership roles at Vormetric (acquired by Thales), High Tower Software (acquired by NetForensics), Predictive Systems (NASDAQ: PRDS), and Lockheed Martin.
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:
