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.
The Reverend Luis Cortés Jr. is founder & CEO of Esperanza.
Patrick Moore is president, GSG, at AXIM Fringe Solutions Group.
Robert has a Master's in Business Administration (MBA), specializing in Strategy and Finance and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management. He leads global strategy and business development and is responsible for driving business results and long-term business strategy. Robert has experience successfully launching technology innovations and leading cross-organizational change initiatives from ideation to implementation.
Before joining Charles Taylor, he worked for a leading Global Law Firm and as a Management Consultant to Global For-profit and Not-for-profit organizations, focused on Strategy, Innovation, and Process Improvement. He brings a global perspective from work in EMEA, AsiaPac, and the 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:
