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.
Karl Roessner is CEO of Vestmark, a wealth management software and service provider.
Prior to joining Vestmark, he served as CEO of Lefteris Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company focused on the fintech arena. Previously, he served as the CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of E*Trade.
As the Global People Leader at Rocket Lawyer, Megan leads the talent philosophy and strategy for a company that provides online legal services and documents to millions of users around the world. With over 16 years of experience in the HR field, Megan has a passion for building high-performance cultures that support the company's mission to make access to justice affordable and simple. Megan's core competencies include talent strategy, rewards and recognition, HR operations, talent development, and leadership development.
Gulzar Singh is a U.K.-based global banking and digital transformation leader with 30+ years of experience in leadership roles at international banks across the U.K. and India. He holds a Ph.D., an MBA and has completed executive education at MIT.
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:
