HR Strange But True

Need a New Car? Just Expense It!

Business travel and expense reports go hand in hand, but sometimes employees can get a little carried away with what they are expensing! A new survey from Robert Half shows just how ridiculous these reports can get!

Chief financial officers (CFOs) were asked, “Have you seen inappropriate expense report requests increase or decrease in the past 3 years?” While 65 percent report no change, around 23 percent of CFOs report that there has been an increase in outlandish expenses over the last 3 years. Just what are employees expensing?

CFOs in the United States are reporting that they’ve received requests for the following:

  • New car
  • Rental homes
  • Vacations
  • Flat-screen TV
  • Toilet paper
  • Doggie day spa
  • Loans
  • Rent
  • 10-cent parking-meter charge
  • Medications
  • Taxidermy
  • Dance classes

While some of these may not seem so ridiculous (I mean, what office doesn’t need toilet paper?), other expenses included:

  • A side of beef—somebody bought half of a cow;
  • A welder; and
  • Somebody else’s salary.

Canadian CFOs are also reporting similar items, such as vacations and toilet paper; however, there are some ridiculous things that U.S. CFOs did not report! These include:

  • Cosmetic surgery
  • Speeding tickets
  • A pair of socks
  • Video game console
  • Yoga and Pilates classes
  • Cigars
  • Hair supplies
  • A trailer rental for a family reunion
  • A “Sweet 16” birthday venue
  • A camping trip
  • Charges from a day at the spa
  • Flowers that an employee purchased for his wife

What crazy items have your employees tried to expense? Share it in our comments section below, or e-mail us, and it could be featured in the next HRSBT!

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