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.
Natalie Neelan is director of innovation at Boston Mutual Life Insurance, she leads a team dedicated to turning emerging ideas into measurable business impact. Previously, she founded and scaled her own consultancy, Straightline Innovation, and partnered with major organizations including Nationwide and Highmark. Her expertise spans strategic communications, human-centered design, and building ecosystems that accelerate corporate transformation. A Certified Digital Marketing Professional and LUMA Human-Centered Design Facilitator, Natalie is also the author of Rebel at Work: How to Innovate and Drive Results When You Aren't the Boss. She earned her MBA in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Strategy from Chatham University and her BS in Communications from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Manish Naik serves as the President of Cigna Healthcare's Dental and Vision benefits products. The business currently serves over 17 million customers across the United States. In this role he is responsible for network strategy and development, product strategy and development, provider relations, sales operations, innovation, and clinical execution.
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:
