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.
Many of the remote work practices we’re instituting today are likely to be part of a new normal that survives long after the current crisis has ended.
Jeff Phillips is co-founder and CEO of Accountingfly, the accountant hiring platform that matches firms with local and remote accounting talent. Phillips was previously with Monster.com, where he delivered recruitment solutions for Fortune 500 companies such as Verizon, H&R Block and Shell. He was named among the Top 100 Most Influential People by Accounting Today for four years. Phillips has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Baylor University and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Phillips lives with his family in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
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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:
