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 Moore leads the North American operations for Sollers Consulting, he has more than 20 years of experience in insurance technology leading professional services teams.
Lennart Imorde is the Head of Process Automation at Sollers Consulting specializing in implementing core insurance systems and driving automation in insurance processes through Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Business Process Management (BPM), and AI-driven solutions.
Shaye-Ann Hopkins is a behavioral researcher at Duke University, where she works with design tools and interventions that enhance wellbeing. Her work focuses on designing and testing behaviorally informed solutions that support healthier financial behaviors and more resilient communities.
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:
