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.
Patty Starr is president and CEO of Health Action Council and is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the organization--build stronger, healthier communities where business can thrive. Since joining the Health Action Council staff in 2013, she has transformed the organization yielding broad national expansion and seven consecutive years of growth.
Patty is a member of the Advisory Board at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Board of Directors for Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO). She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Better Health Partnership, Ohio Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative and Health Action Council before becoming executive director in 2013. In 2022, she was named a Woman of Influence by Cleveland Business Journal, and in 2018, she was named among Notable Women in Healthcare by Crain's Cleveland Business.
Prior to Health Action Council, she was the senior director of health insurance and benefits at the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) and president and founder of The Ark Individual Insurance Brokerage.
Jennett Douglas is a senior client services manager for Felix. In her work, she utilizes a wealth of knowledge and experience in project management, research-based practices, human development and learning, and coaching.
Nicole Halverson serves as Carpe Data's first VP of People and Culture. Throughout her time at Carpe Data, Nicole has built a people-focused team driving talent acquisition, people and organizational development, employee relations, employee engagement, and DEIB. Nicole has helped triple Carpe Data's employee base in the US and Portugal, and has helped coach employees towards high performance and innovation while committing to the Company's core values: act like an owner, lead with empathy, and be bold and creative. Before Carpe Data, Nicole spent eight years in operations and people management in private education.
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:
