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.
Martin Amend is a senior consultant at Capco.
Kate Ryder is the founder and CEO of Maven, a virtual clinic dedicated to women’s and family health. Named one of Fast Company’s “10 Most Innovative Healthcare Companies in 2018,” Maven’s family benefits platform aims to advance women in the workplace and make it easier for parents to start and grow a family during a critical time in their careers. Maven was founded in 2014, operates the largest proprietary women’s and family health telehealth network in the country, and has raised more than $40 million in capital from top investors including Sequoia and Oak HC/FT.
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:
