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.
Justin Goff is the director of technical delivery at Hylaine, a values-first technology consulting firm that works with property & casualty, life & annuity, health, specialty & Lloyd's, and reinsurance to modernize and simplify the technology behind the insurance business. With nearly two decades of experience in advanced analytics and AI-driven solutions, Justin focuses on delivering scalable, real-world outcomes — helping organizations turn complex data challenges into operational results that drive performance and growth.
Bernard Horn is president and portfolio manager of Polaris Capital Management, a leading Boston-based global and international value equity firm. He founded Polaris in 1995 to expand his existing client base dating to the early 1980s. His pure global value philosophy combines investment technology with traditional fundamental research.
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:
