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.
Brian Spinelli is co-chief investment officer of Halbert Hargrove, a $2.7 billion fiduciary investment management and wealth advisory firm serving clients across the West Coast and beyond.
Based in Long Beach, California, Spinelli has been with Hargrove, founded in 1933, since 2006.
Jen Truscott, senior vice president of Aetna Clinical Solutions, supports CVS Health's strategy to improve access, engagement and connection to care for members and customers. With an almost 30-year career in health care, Jen has worked across customer experience, behavioral health and more, garnering a deep understanding of how health care benefits can support members' holistic health.
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:
