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.
Ashley Ettwein is Head of Product at Pepper. Pepper is the leading IoT platform that enables brands, manufacturers, retailers and service providers to deliver smart home solutions to their customers. The customizable, US cloud-based Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with real-time video streaming provides a cost-effective and easy way for businesses to quickly launch and monetize products and services. With the addition of Notion smart monitoring (acquired December 2022), Pepper expands their insurance offering providing comprehensive, turn-key smart home programs. For additional information, visit: pepper.me.
As Vice President of Human Resources, Jena is responsible for executing a modern and scalable HR structure within the company. She manages all Human Resources programs, policies, procedures, and services, and her depth and breadth of experience with people and culture, and the application of that knowledge, are incredibly valuable.
Jena joined Central in 2020 as our Director of Organizational Development, focused on leadership development and employee engagement, as well as our employees' mental health and well-being. Before Central, she held the Senior Organization Development Psychologist/Consultant role with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Jena earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from The Ohio State University and a Masters in Psychology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University.
Jessica Bonar is a benefits adviser at Advanced Benefits.
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:
