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.
Atul Tandon serves as CEO of Opportunity International, a Chicago-based international NGO that designs, delivers and scales innovative financial solutions to help families living in poverty build sustainable livelihoods. The NGO reached over 18 million people last year, supporting individuals and families experiencing extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, as well as Central and South America. As a global executive for Citibank, Tandon pioneered personal banking solutions in India and grew Citi's global consumer networks to more than 146 million accounts with a presence in over 100 countries.
Rafael Bernard, CFP, MSFP, is an alumnus of Kansas State's financial therapy program and Bentley University's financial planning program.
He has experience researching financial literacy, designing financial therapy-driven client activities, and leveraging experiential learning to build financial wellness curricula.
Brandon Ellison is the founder and CEO of Quility. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama in 2000. Following graduation, he pursued work as a musician in Crested Butte, Colorado. In 2001, upon moving to Asheville, North Carolina, he acquired his insurance license and established a career as a life insurance agent. In 2002, Mr. Ellison met Casey Watkins while they were working as agents for the same company; the two established a friendship as well as a healthy rivalry that drove them both to grow into two of the top managers in that company.
Through their experience as insurance agents, they recognized an opportunity to elevate the industry's business model by reshaping the relationship between agents and their respectful uplines. Founded in their belief that what benefits individuals will ultimately benefit the whole, they envisioned a model in which the wellbeing, growth and financial success of agents would take the forefront. They launched Symmetry Financial Group in 2009 to translate their vision into reality, and in the 12 years since have transformed Symmetry into the modernization of the new company, Quility, with a revenue hitting over $70 million.
Ellison still enjoys playing the guitar. He also loves long hikes in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, Meredith. They have three children, Addie Ruth, Levi and Woods, that keep their home and calendars full and abundant.
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:
