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.
Jesse Kessler is CEO and Founder of Heuro Health, a digital health company.
Jon Atteberry is a Director of Data Science at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, leading a team responsible for developing Acquisition and Retention models and attributes for Auto, Homeowners, Life and Commercial lines. Jon has over 10 years of experience working in data analysis and analytics, working as Director of Web Traffic and Engagement Analytics at TechTarget, Inc. prior to joining LexisNexis. He holds a Master’s degree in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University as well as an MBA from Georgia State University.
Burnout was a major reason behind the expected employee turnover, according to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting.
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:
