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.
Brandon Tobman is the chief executive officer of GetCovered, an insurance technology company that builds software solutions to simplify policy management, compliance and customer experience for the property insurance sector. GetCovered acts as a bridge between insurance and real estate, with clients that include insurance carriers, insurance agencies, property managers, landlords and membership associations.
Olga Cameron is the senior team lead for BenefitsVIP, where she leads a dedicated participant support team delivering concierge-level service to client Human Resources partners, employees, and their dependents. Serving as second in command to the BenefitsVIP Director, Olga plays a key role in the implementation and support of departmental technology platforms, including the BenefitsVIP Mobile App. She also actively participates in employee-facing webinars and prospect presentations, educating clients and participants on benefit programs while showcasing available support resources and mobile technology, and reinforcing the value of the BenefitsVIP service model.
Zach Lindquist is the co-founder of Pure Crypto.
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:
