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.
Stephanie Donahole is a business analyst at Tatvasoft Australia, a web development company in Australia. Her aim is to sharpen her analytical skills, deepening her data understanding and broaden her business knowledge in these years of her career. She loves to write about technology innovation and emergence. Follow Her on Twitter at @SDonahole.
Clint Salisbury is regional sales manager for Utah-based International Document Services Inc.
Blaine Townsend, CIMC, CIMA, serves as a senior vice president and the director of Bailard Wealth Management’s Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing group. He is on both Bailard’s fundamental and SRII investment committees, conducts social research, oversees corporate engagement efforts and maintains client relationships. He began researching and writing about corporate social responsibility in the late 1980s and started his career in socially responsible investing in 1991 at the Muir Investment Trust.
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:
