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.
Mr. Belinsky joined Frasca & Associates in 2011 and has more than 30 years of government and finance experience, specializing in financial, strategic, and transactional advisory for airports and infrastructure development projects. Mr. Belinsky currently leads Frasca’s P3 financial advisory efforts. Mr. Belinsky had a significant role in the LaGuardia CTB $4 billion Replacement Project for Frasca.He is advising the Los Angeles World Airports on its $5.5 billion P3 Landside Access Modernization Program, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority on its new FIS facility and ADP project. He has advised the City of Kansas City ATAG committee on future Terminal development at MCI.As part of these projects, Mr. Belinsky has reviewed and evaluated capital programs, financing structures and assisted in the development of alternative financing structures as well as the procurement process.
Ash Shilkin is president of Ivy
Peter Weill is a senior research scientist and chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
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:
