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.
Anthony Woodward is the co-founder and CEO of RecordPoint, an innovative, fast-growing Australian SaaS solution focused on helping organizations discover, govern, and control their data for tighter compliance, more efficiency, and less risk. With a background in both technology and the law, Anthony has also held positions at Unique World, Commander, and Freehills. He also co-hosts the FILED podcast and writes the FILED newsletter, focusing on the intersection of data privacy and governance. Anthony is regarded as one of the leading thinkers on the intersection of data and privacy.
Buddy Bockweg founded Vsimple after a 20-year-career in the construction industry. Vsimple is an AI-powered platform that helps businesses centralize their workflows.
Andrew Farah is the co-founder and CEO of Density, which helps companies understand how people use their spaces. Density sensors and software unlock insights into how workplaces are used at companies ranging from Fortune 1000 to high growth startups. Today, Density partners with companies that occupy more than 1.25 billion square feet across 32 countries.
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:
