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.
Kim Silva has more than 25 years of combined accounting and teaching experience. In addition to her undergraduate degree in accounting, she has a MS in financial crime and compliance management, and is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in management. She recently founded Essential Business Education, and currently is a visiting assistant professor of practice in accounting at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Reach her at hello@essentialbusinessedu.com or via LinkedIn.
Priya Krishnan, chief digital, and transformation officer at Bright Horizons has a storied background as an entrepreneur who founded India's leading child care and schooling service provider with more than 150 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country. At Bright Horizons, she leads all client relationships for the US, International M&A, and innovation projects. Priya joined the Bright Horizons family after founding and running KLAY, a high-quality childcare organization, which has grown to become India's largest childcare company.
Michal Katz is head of investment & corporate banking at Mizuho Americas.
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:
