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.
Joanna Strober is founder and CEO of Midi Health.
Olga Collins was appointed CEO of Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) in April 2021 after becoming their youngest ever board member when she joined in 2019. Under her leadership, WBN has grown to become the largest independent broker network in the world, with 150 members across 100 countries and a combined revenue of $14 billion. Olga has worked in global business for 25 years, is a member of the prestigious invitation-only C-Suite female network 'Chief' and recipient of multiple industry awards.
Nick Tye is the founder and CEO of Carbon Underwriting. His leadership approach fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, developing an environment where creativity thrives. Laser focused on merging technology and expertise to drive results, Nick's role at Carbon is the culmination of over two decades in insurance, marked by leveraging his actuarial background and commercial acumen to enhance every facet of the underwriting process. Nick's reputation as a market leader stems from his ability to manage the underwriting of highly profitable international portfolios, even in challenging territories. His holistic understanding of the industry's distribution chain ensures consistently above-average profitability. Beyond technical prowess, Nick's journey from actuarial science to CEO exemplifies the evolution of underwriting in our industry. His visionary leadership, coupled with a relentless pursuit of innovation, positions him as a transformative force in shaping the industry's future.
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:
