In what could be dubbed the most quintessential display of a strong work ethic, Tamara Drpić, a soon-to-be-mom, has the internet in stitches after sharing the video she sent her boss from the labor room.
Wearing a hospital gown, with a cocktail of excitement and fentanyl-induced cheer, Tamara announces: “Hi, thank you for checking in!”
She continues, “I’m actually going to have a baby tonight. Right now, I’m drugged up on fentanyl because of the epidural.”
“But yeah, it came way sooner than I expected, but don’t worry, I’ll wrap up some emails and stuff. Let me know if you have any questions about the One Note.”
This is definitely not your typical out-of-office message, but rather a testament to the incredible (and somewhat bizarre) ability of working mums to multitask.
Forget about being in the middle of a life-altering moment, there are emails to be sent, projects to be updated and One Note questions to be answered!
While we laugh, it’s hard to ignore the underlying reality this video shows – the relentlessness of hustle and work culture, which can creep into even the most personal moments.
This sentiment resonated with many, as one user pointed out, “The ultimate corporate employee!”
“This was me. Hospitalized at 35 weeks, a week before my mat leave. I was dictating emails to my husband because the meds had my hands too swollen to type,” shared someone else.
“This happened to me when I got into a car accident and was in the hospital. Work said, ‘send proof’,” another user shared.
And this person joked, “This is the adult equivalent of my kindergarten kids giving me wayyy too much info on their parent’s private lives. Haha.”
Tamara responded with a follow-up comment that adds another layer to this surreal scenario.
“Oh, it gets worse. It is so embarrassing. So imagine me, big and pregnant, waddling to the labor and delivery room, holding my laptop and asking, ‘Can I use my laptop to work from there?’ as I am eight centimeters dilated, and I’m asking to work from the labor and delivery room. So, yeah, very, very America.”