Out-of-control employees had the chutzpah to expense these ridiculous things

Out-of-control employees had the chutzpah to expense these ridiculous thingsOut-of-control employees had the chutzpah to expense these ridiculous thingsFilling out an expense report can be anxiety-inducing. That dinner with a client was legit, right? Those drinks were work-related, werent they? What if they get rejected and you end up eating the cost of four scotches, two of which you didnt drink, two of which you drank only to impress a potential client?Certain employees dont have this problem. Theyll expense anything, purchased anywhere, anytime. Whether its glamorous trips, to personal services inside their home, animals, or over-the-top home decor, their first line of thought when it comes to paying seems to be expense it.Consulting firm Robert Half asked 1,000 CFOs if they had seen an increase or a decrease in inappropriate expense report requests in the past three years. The CFOs response? Theyd noticed a 56% increase. (Specifically, a 27% significant increase and a 29% somewha t increase.)Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHere are some of the fruchtwein audacious expense-report capersTrip to Italya cowSuper Bowl ticketspogo stockbear rugchandelierPedestrian, but bizarretaxesinvoices for another companybedbug removalplungerThen theres the employee who sees the expense report as an extension of their home financesdaycarepetsittingchildrens clothingcat littertoysFinally, theres the simply unbelievableChicken statue with top hatYachtPearlsMotorcycleLamborghiniSome of the more absurd expense report submissions may seem laughable, but they can be an expensive problem for businesses, said Tim Hird, an executive vice president with Robert Half. Companies must have effective review systems, policies, and processes in place.Robert Half found that only 14% of companies use manual processes to go through expense reports although this number rises with firms with u nder 49 employees. Whatever method you use, Robert Half suggests overcommunication is key when communicating with employees about what is a proper business expense (although it should be noted that no amount of communication will ever make it clear to the person who expensed a chandelier that their action was inappropriate).