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.
Steve Weil is information security director at Point B, an integrated managed consulting, venture investment and real estate development firm. Over the past 20 years, he has provided a wide variety of cybersecurity services to hospitals, universities, state government agencies, cities and large companies throughout the United States.
Steven Arnedt, MD, is physician executive of Physician Alignment for Cerner.
Sandra Koch is director of client services at Hedge Trackers. She works with clients across the country on an individual basis to evaluate exposure in light of corporate objectives and implement or refine hedge programs and related performance reporting. The Indiana University graduate specializes in risk and cash and FX management. Koch has also served as treasury manager at several firms.
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:
