What a racket

Shock, horror. Some of us (not me, obviously) are not above fiddling their expenses and, say, taking a client out for a meal and then claiming for a more expensive dinner that they enjoyed with their partner. Shame on you for such fraudulent practices - and for lacking imagination. According to a survey by Travelodge, the hotel chain, other people are having much more fun claiming for Viagra, a pet hamster, private number plates, and luxury holidays.

How outrageous. Then again, what constitutes a legitimate expense seems to be rather a grey area. Here are five of my favourite incredible expenses claims:   

1.Todd Thomson, the head of wealth management at Citigroup resigned to reports that he had shown, interesting wealth management by installing a wood-burning fireplace and a fishtank in his office, and wining and dining Maria Bartiromo, a CNBC reporter. He later accused the bank of orchestrating a smear campaign against him.

2.The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is looking into whether the £4,000 in taxi fares claimed by Mary, the wife of the Speaker of the Commons, Michael Martin, breached the rules. The taxpayer expects more PR-savvy, at least from its public servants.

3.Taxi fares look like small change compared to the "now you see it, now you don't" mastery displayed by Thomas Coughlin, a former vice-chairman of Wal-Mart, who pleaded guilty to siphoning off more than $500,000 over seven years in fraudulent expenses claims. Purchases included a Celine Dion CD and a large Polish sausage. That's a large Polish sausage. Think big, people.

4. In Australia, an Industrial Court judge questioned whether Tas Sinadinos, a logistics manager for a rail company, lived in the "real world" after Sinadinos claimed that he was not guity of misconduct for using his corporate American Express card to pay for escort services. Something about relocating for work purposes and being so lonely.

5. For lessons in honesty and thrift, look to Alan C. Greenberg, the former chairman of The Bear Sterns Companies Inc. who sent one of his famous memos to staff telling them not to allow their expenses claims to balloon - even in the good times - before revealing that he had forbidden the purchase of paperclips. The offices were so awash with them, he said, employees should be gathering them up to sell them on. That's sell them on to add to the company's profits not out the back door to bolster employees take-home. Every little bit helps.

Comments

[Sunil Chauhan]

I've met numerous employees who make bongus claims on a regular basis and at first it used to annoy me, but now it just makes me think that it just needs to be policied better.