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.
Loren Brockhouse is Chief Revenue Officer of iPipeline where he brings extensive experience in sales leadership, revenue strategy, and building high-performing teams across the legal-tech and fintech sectors.
In his role as CRO, Brockhouse oversees all aspects of revenue generation, including sales, marketing, and revenue operations, with a focus on creating scalable systems that drive predictable growth. He is passionate about fostering a collaborative, customer-centric culture that ensures exceptional experiences for carriers, distributors, and advisors.
Brockhouse joined iPipeline from BigHand, a legal technology provider, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and led global go-to-market strategies. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at PrimePay, Vanco, and Businessolver, where he delivered sustainable revenue growth and strengthened operational frameworks.
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:
