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.
Dan Wertman is the co-founder and CEO of Noetica, a platform used by U.S. law firms to benchmark risk in corporate credit and M&A deals. Previously, Wertman worked at BlackRock and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
Karen Servidea, JD, is a senior legal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory, U.S. She tracks, analyzes and writes about tax law developments for the Standard Federal Tax Reporter, Exempt Organizations Reporter, and Tax Essentials. She previously practiced in civil tax litigation.
With a background as an elite gymnast and a passion for understanding the remarkable capabilities of the female body, I bring a holistic approach to workplace wellbeing at Lifesum. A dedicated runner and mother, I thrive on creating environments that empower health and productivity—and when I'm not shaping wellness strategies, you'll likely find me perfecting a recipe or embracing life outdoors.
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:
