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.
Bright Ikwetie is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a graduate of accountancy. He has a Google Project Management certification, and he is an IBQMI-certified Lean Project Manager. He is a financial management specialist with experience spanning financial management, internal controls, risk management, compliance, business intelligence and data analytics. He has worked across areas involving financial planning and analysis, reporting, operational efficiency, and strategic decision support. He also serves as a board advisor to three nonprofit and corporate organizations, where he contributes to governance, financial oversight, and organizational sustainability.
Kendale King is the founder of KCK CPA which serves clients in the entertainment, gaming and cryptocurrency sectors. He is the originator of the CPAcon conference.
From strategic planning to talent acquisition, Fallon wears a number of different hats at Sentinel. Senior managers look to her for guidance in their everyday duties, and her efforts to build positive employee relations are reflected in the company's culture. When Fallon isn't working face to face with employees, her leadership comes through in her diligent work on policy design and compensation planning.
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:
