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.
Shivani Deodhar is a governance and reporting assistant vice president with BNP Paribas.
As Chief AI and Digital Officer at SLK Software, Chandrashekar Surbhat leads the company's digital and AI led transformation strategy, focusing on delivering business outcomes. Chandra is focused on building IP/platforms, strategic partnerships with niche vendors to co-create value for customers and has successfully managed billion-dollar P&L businesses, turned around underperforming units and unlocked efficiencies. His leadership has been instrumental in driving organizational transformations and aligning business strategies with emerging technologies like AI, cloud and digital experience. Chandra holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore University and Program Management, General Management, and Marketing certification from IIM Bangalore.
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:
