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.
Michael A. Gayed, CFA, is founder of Lead-Lag Media, an AI-driven sales, marketing and distribution firm for the financial services industry.
Kristin Turner is an accomplished human resources executive with a strong track record of driving talent, culture, and leadership strategies across higher education, global enterprises, and high-growth startups. She currently serves as Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, Learning & Development at the University of Colorado System Administration office. Kristin holds an M.A. in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is also a certified leadership coach and an active mentor and board member, passionate about helping leaders and organizations grow with purpose.
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:
