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.
Christina Powers is a Partner in West Monroe's Cybersecurity practice. She leads the firm's Cybersecurity Advisory for Private Equity (CAPE) program, helping private equity firms and their portfolio companies maintain visibility into cybersecurity practices and risks. Christina also conducts cybersecurity due diligence for potential acquisitions, supporting investment decisions and operational resilience.
She brings deep experience in cybersecurity strategy, with a focus on risk mitigation and identity and access management. Prior to joining West Monroe, Christina worked in Accenture's Technology Consulting Security practice. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and has completed executive education at the Yale School of Management.
Bepi Pezzulli is an associate professor in the MBA program at University Canada West as well as a solicitor of the senior courts of England & Wales, specializing in cryptofinance.
Julie Genjac is a vice president and managing director of Applied Insights at Hartford Funds. With over 20 years of experience, she helps financial professionals and teams optimize their practices by enhancing their efficiency and effectiveness. She is also a co-host of the Hartford Funds Human-centric Investing podcast, featuring thought leaders from inside and outside the industry.
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:
