Paper introduction: the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the fulfillment of their familial responsibilities through an Islamic approach

Despite the significance attached to the role of woman in the familial environment by Islam, on the condition that the moral health and dignity of women, together with the foundation of the family aren’t damaged, this religion isn’t against the employment of women outside home; thereby, the working conditions of women should be flexible enough to let them discharge the familial responsibilities properly. Accordingly, the present paper studies the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the fulfilment of their familial responsibilities.

News ID: 446988

Date: 13 September 2019 - 08:01

RNA - Despite the significance attached to the role of woman in the familial environment by Islam, on the condition that the moral health and dignity of women, together with the foundation of the family aren’t damaged, this religion isn’t against the employment of women outside home; thereby, the working conditions of women should be flexible enough to let them discharge the familial responsibilities properly. Accordingly, the present paper studies the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the fulfilment of their familial responsibilities.

The family has a high and significant position in Islam. On the one hand, Islam emphasizes that women should perform their responsibilities towards their husbands and children and deal with family/home affairs properly, and on the other hand, it considers the employment of women, that is commensurate with the values of Islam, highly significant

Accordingly, the present study deals with the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the discharge of their familial responsibilities through Islam’s approach.

The impact of women’s flexible working hours on the discharge of the familial responsibilities

For the conduction of the present study, 260 married female staff of Tabriz higher education centres were selected using the classified probability sampling, and following the separation of the universities and higher education institutions, questionnaires were randomly distributed among the women in the winter of 2017 and spring of 2018.

The analysis of the results, carried out using the Pearson correlation coefficient, simple linear and multiple regression, indicated that the flexibility of women’s working hours positively impacts the fulfilment of their familial tasks; moreover, the results of the Friedman test suggested that whether women’s working hours are reduced, a reduction derived from the flexibility of the working time, they appropriate their extra free time for conduction of familial responsibilities.

The importance of woman in the family institution in accordance with Islam

According to Islam, the family is the most popular social foundation with Heaven (Hurr Ameli, 7023 Q, V. no. 2, p. 70), and the [good or bad] conditions of this institution directly impact the society. Accordingly, Islam emphasizes the formation and consolidation of this institution. A chief purpose of the establishment of the family is provision of spouses with peace and tranquillity through being the partner of each other.

If intimacy/sincerity exists between the spouses, it shows the marriage has met its main target and that the spouses have carried out their mutual responsibilities properly; indeed, as it is asserted by Islam, the mutual rights and tasks of the spouses are established in order that the development and preservation of the foundation of the family are guaranteed. The observation of these rights, together with the performance of the responsibilities associated with them, develops the intimacy among the couples and prevents the occurrence of chaos in families.

Women play a significant and pivotal role in the family and their emotional characteristics let them perform the best part in terms of the management and leadership of effective communications among the members of the family. In the past, the majority of women used to stay at home and specifically performed the task of mother and spouse and their occupation was confined to dealing with home, husband and children; however, nowadays, in addition to their mother and wife parts, play the role of a person working out of home.

Each of these different roles has its own specific requirements, and in case the proper provisions and arrangements aren’t made for their adaptation, the occupation and family of women are both possible to be damaged.

Women’s tendency for shorter working time with less income

In accordance with the Article no. 31 of the Law on the Management of State Services, either in official or contract-based occupations, women are supposed to work 44 hours a week. The present research studies the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the fulfilment of their familial responsibilities among the married female staff of Tabriz higher education centres.

The flexibility of working hours lets employees adapt their working time to the important dimensions of their life; however, in case this option is used, it may lower the income of the employee/s; thereby, the present study examines that whether do working married woman tend to shorten their working time with the lower income for using the option of flexible working hours?

Furthermore, the shortening of the working time let women appropriate their extra free time for conduction of their familial activities, including their responsibilities towards their husbands, children, home and etc., or they can spend their extra time using social media, acquiring their favourite skills and etc.

The present study seeks to answer the question ‘Do women appropriate their extra time, freed because of using the option of flexible working hours, for performing their familial responsibilities?’

Following the introduction, the paper provides the theoretical principles on the topic. Then, the experimental studies carried out abroad and inside the state are mentioned. In the next section, the research method is introduced. The fifth section includes the results, analyses of the research and finally, the research ends with the conclusion.

Conclusion

The religion of Islam, as a human-training school, attaches a specific significance to the preservation of family’s foundation and according to it, the health of the society is dependent on the health of this sacred institute. Woman, as one of the main elements of the family, has some different responsibilities in terms of being wife, mother, bringing up children properly, doing the affairs of the home and establishment of peace in the family environment.

On the one hand, the economic and social conditions of society encourage women to work out of home. Despite the significance attached to the role of woman in the familial environment by Islam, on the condition that the moral health and dignity of women, together with the foundation of the family aren’t damaged, this religion approves of employment of women outside home; thereby, the working conditions of women should be flexible enough to let them discharge the familial responsibilities properly.

Therefore, the present paper studies the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the fulfilment of their familial responsibilities. To this end, and for the conduction of the present study, using the classified probability sampling, and following the separation of the universities and higher education institutions, 200 questionnaires were randomly distributed among married female staff of Tabriz higher education centres.

Then, using the two-sentence test, women’s tendency to shortening their working time and receiving less income (proportionate) was examined. In the next step, employing Pearson correlation coefficient, simple linear and multiple regression within the SPSS software program, the impact of women’s flexible working hours on the discharge of their familial responsibilities was measured, and finally, using Friedman test, the question of ‘Whether do women appropriate their extra free time, freed because of using the option of flexible working hours, for performing their familial responsibilities or do they spend their extra time on using social media, acquiring their favourite skills and etc.?’ was answered.

As it was suggested by research findings, the flexibility of women’s working hours has a positive effect on the discharge of their familial tasks. The two-sentence test showed that the majority of the working woman of the examined sample approve of shortening their working time with the condition of receiving less income; furthermore, the results provided by Friedman test demonstrate that if the working time of women is shortened using the option of the flexible working hours, they appropriate their extra free time for conduction of their familial tasks, including spending more time for being with family members, meeting the spiritual and emotional needs of the family, handling the husband, dealing with physical condition/health of the family and home affairs, and this result is fully commensurate with the emphasis of Islam on the conduction of familial task by women.

Therefore, using the option of flexible working hours, women can both attend more in the family, carry out their familial responsibilities and treat good children, as it is stressed by Islam. Thereby, it is recommended that the planners and related officials and organisations (government and parliament) make the necessary arrangements for women can be provided with the option of flexible working hourse.

For downloading the PDF version of the original paper, click here.

The End

Rasa News Agency

VoI847/940