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.
Kevin Gaut is Chief Technology Officer at INSTANDA, a cloud-native intelligent policy administration platform that enables carriers and MGAs to build, manage, and distribute products with exceptional agility.
Vishal Sankhla is co-founder and CEO of Outmarket.
Sankhla has dedicated his career to building intelligent, automated systems that replace inefficiency with speed, clarity, and action. He previously led the platform team at Uber, was Director of Engineering at Facebook, and Head of Product at Ethos Life Insurance.
At Outmarket, Sankhla leads a team that delivers a comprehensive AI solution to the manual workflows, siloed data, and outdated processes that cost brokers and carriers billions in lost productivity each year. Outmarket is now trusted by over 200 of the world's most successful insurance agencies to streamline operations, reduce E&O exposure and drive growth. Connect with Vishal on LinkedIn.
Mike Gerhard is chief data and AI officer at BDO USA, where he is responsible for integrating AI into BDO's operations. He has led numerous technology initiatives, including the enterprise digital transformation and innovation program. Additionally, he leads the research and AI development team.
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:
