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.
Anant Kale is CEO of AppZen, where he is responsible for development of the company’s product vision, building the team and execution. Anant has more than 15 years of experience in developing complex software. Prior to AppZen, he served as vice president of applications at Fujitsu America, where he was responsible for strategy, product management and delivery of Fujitsu’s mission critical applications and infrastructure for enterprise, mobile and commerce. Anant earned an MBA from the University of Mumbai in Finance and a Bachelors Degree in Engineering.
Bernie Clark is head of Schwab Advisor Services, which provides independent advisors with custodial services and industry expertise. He is a member of Charles Schwab’s Executive Committee.
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:
