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.
Chloe Fischetti is an associate with the law firm BakerHostetler whose practice concentrates on complex white collar and securities litigation matters. Her experience includes litigation matters involved in BakerHostetler's role as counsel to Trustee Irving H. Picard for the SIPA liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC and the internal corporate investigation of a Fortune 50 company.
John Carney is a partner with the law firm BakerHostetler and a former securities fraud chief and assistant United States attorney with the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission senior counsel and CPA at a Big Four accounting firm. He now serves as BakerHostetler's White Collar, Investigations and Securities Enforcement and Litigation team co-leader.
Sterling Johnson III, Associate, ArentFox Schiff LLP
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:
