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.
Stanley Keller is senior partner at Locke Lord LLP who focuses his practice on corporate and securities laws. He chaired the ABA’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee during the height of the Sarbanes-Oxley era and in that role interacted on behalf of the private bar with the SEC, other governmental officials and the stock exchanges. He served as Chair of the ABA’s Legal Opinions Committee and is currently leading the effort to establish a statement of nationally recognized opinion practices. He also was Chair of the ABA’s Audit Responses Committee. He was active in the ABA’s Task Forces dealing with SEC Attorney Conduct Rules, Corporate Responsibility and Attorney-Client Privilege. As a member of the ABA’s Corporate Laws Committee, he was Special Reporter for the 2016 Revision of the Model Business Corporation Act and before that was Co-Chair of the Task Force that drafted the Massachusetts Business Corporation Law. He also Chaired the Boston Bar Association’s Business Law Section and Corporation Law Committee.
Stuart Murdoch is a senior consultant with 45 years of experience in IT. He has spent the last 25 years working to bridge the gaps between IT, operational processes and business people. He is adept at communicating at all levels – from board-room strategies to shop-floor realization.
Already in the minority at upper levels of management in insurance, women also face lack of visibility within networks and insensitive stereotypes while trying to build and fund insurtech companies.
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:
