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 Sonnenberg is the CEO and Co-Founder of Awardco, the fastest-growing rewards and recognition company in the world. Steve is passionate about improving the workplace and is excited by what the future holds for the rewards and recognition industry.
Leandro DalleMule is general manager at Planck, acquired by Applied Systems. He brings 30 years of experience in business management to the team. Prior, he spent six years as AIG's chief data officer. He also was the senior director of big data analytics for Citibank and head of marketing analytics for BlackRock and held leadership roles in Deloitte's advanced analytics practice.
Nazy Fouladirad is President and COO of Tevora, a global leading cybersecurity consultancy. She has dedicated her career to creating a more secure business and online environment for organizations across the country and world. She is passionate about serving her community and acts as a board member for a local nonprofit organization. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazy-fouladirad-67a66821
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:
