Working mum’s COVID-19 email response wins praise from exhausted parents around the world – as many say it’s the ‘best auto reply’ they have ever read
- Khara Jabola-Carolus is the director of Hawaii’s Commission on Status of Women
- She is also a mother of two young children, an infant and a toddler
- Her no-nonsense ‘out of office’ COVID email response has gone viral online
- Ms Jabola-Carolus said she’s busy juggling motherhood and working full-time
- She noted that parents working from home are interrupted every three minutes
- Mothers have hailed her a hero and a shining example to others
A working mother’s straight-talking email response sent to contacts during COVID-19 has made her the poster child of exhausted parents around the world who are struggling to balance personal and professional responsibilities.
Khara Jabola-Carolus is the executive director of Hawaii’s State Commission on the Status of Women, a government agency that campaigns for gender equality.
She’s also the mother of two young children, an infant and a toddler who she has been caring for at home since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis in March.
Drained from juggling motherhood with the demands of a high-powered job, Ms Jabola Carolus crafted a no-nonsense ‘out of office’ email highlighting the enormous pressure parents have been slapped with since the pandemic began.
‘Aloha, due to patriarchy I am behind in emails,’ the text begins. ‘I hope to respond to your message soon but, like many women, I am working full-time while tending to an infant and toddler full-time.’
Khara Jabola-Carolus (pictured) is the executive director of Hawaii’s State Commission on the Status of Women and a mother of two young children
Ms Jabola-Carolus’ no-nonsense automatic response (pictured) has won praised from parents all over the world
‘According to the Washington Post, the average length of an uninterrupted stretch of work time for parents during COVID-19 was three minutes, 24 seconds.’
In the article Ms Jabola-Carolus is referring to, journalists Suzanne M Edwards and Larry Snyder reveal they were interrupted an average of 15 times each hour by their children while trying to work from home.
She signed off by requesting anyone with a ‘time-sensitive’ query to call her between 7.45am and 4.30pm.
She posted a screenshot of her personalised message on Instagram, with the caption: ‘My auto response during COVID. Don’t suffer silently. Mothers over money!’
The post immediately resonated with working mothers and quickly went viral, with dozens calling it the ‘best auto reply ever’ and touting her as the poster child of working mums juggling responsibilities during the pandemic.
Her straight-talking email has led many to tout Ms Jabola-Carolus (pictured) as the poster child of working mums juggling responsibilities during the pandemic
One said: ‘This is totally bad a*s and totally awesome. As the executive director, you are setting the tone of recognising the burdens of working from home with young children!’
A second thanked Ms Jabola-Carolus for giving her the ‘push’ she needed to draw boundaries between personal and professional life as the coronavirus crisis continues.
A third declared: ‘You are my hero today! The courage to write such an authentic response is something many women can only wish. Thank you for inspiring me & countless mothers.’
Another said the message made her ‘cry in relief’ to know that other women are feeling under pressure too.