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.
Whitney Parker Mitchell is Arizent's Chief Marketing Officer, where she leads the marketing, product, and data teams in advancing the company's mission to deliver cutting-edge industry insights, elevate leaders, and build thriving communities.
With deep expertise in fintech, regtech, and cybersecurity, Whitney has driven innovation throughout her career in B2B marketing. As the Owner and Founder of Beacon, she transformed it from a solo venture into an award-winning B2B marketing agency with over 20 professionals, recognized on the Inc 5000 list for three consecutive years. Whitney's diverse career spans national security, tech startups, and global risk management, where she has guided over 200 firms on strategic marketing, branding, and lead generation.
She holds a Master's in International Relations focused on National Security from Syracuse University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from Boise State University.
Joe Kefauver is a senior advisor to Americans for a Modern Economy, an organization committed to ensuring that local, state and federal policies reflect changing technologies that are reshaping the way consumers, businesses and communities operate in the 21st-century economy.
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:
