We’re in the thick of it now! Your staffers are likely working at warp speed to get those W-2s and 1099s out. And that’s in addition to their regular workloads. Which is why a little levity would be most welcome.
And we’ve found some, in the form of the craziest expenses folks attempted to be reimbursed for last year.
Spoiler alert: They’re some of the wildest ones yet.
Consider taking a collective laugh break by sharing this new list from the folks at expense-management firm Certify. Maybe you could even vote on which you think tops the list as most outrageous.
- Laser tattoo removal. An IT worker felt all the ink wasn’t professional enough – and tried to get the company to foot the bill to clean up the image.
- Henry IV cognac. Even if your company allows folks to expense a little wine or the occasional cocktail, no one would be OK with a $1,300 bottle of booze. The financial services professional who tried to claim this was promptly fired.
- A dunk tank. In the name of boosting employee morale, the tank was rented … and the boss put inside.
- Pink flamingo lawn ornaments. An employee at a medical device manufacturer tried to get reimbursed for four of them.
- A trip for a job interview. Now that’s some nerve! An unhappy employee at an internet services provider expected his current employer to pay for him to find a new job.
Trend alert: Animals?
Some A/P departments may need to add an “animal” category to their expense report forms if this trend catches on:
- Live baby octopus. Why go out for sushi when you can bring it in for a Japanese visitor … and expect the company to pay for it?
- A baby giraffe. Someone brought this wild animal in for an office party. That reimbursement request was a stretch if we ever heard one.
- A goat. Some employees at an energy supply firm thought it was a good idea to expense a live goat for a barbeque held in Mexico. Baaaa-d idea.
- Deer urine. Forget golf! Someone at a pharmaceutical company took a client hunting and felt the deer urine they used to be reimbursed.
