In the past year, nearly 3 million women have left the labor force due to the pandemic and resulting economic recession. At the same time, due to the pandemic, many organizations have adopted new policies regarding work from home and flexible hours, which can positively impact women’s earnings and labor force participation. Now that all American adults are eligible for vaccination, many employers face the decision of whether to embrace new standards going forward or return to business-as-usual.

This moment of change presents an opportunity for employers across different industries to reshape the workplace altogether—not only offering more flexibility, but also tackling discrimination, bias, and the persistent gender pay gap in order to help all employees advance and thrive.

That’s the premise behind new research from TIME’S UP Foundation and ideas42, which uses behavioral design to address the root causes of discrimination and inequity at work. Rather than changing the behaviors of individuals alone, this approach equips employers with strategies to address systems and practices–from hiring to compensation negotiation to performance evaluations–that often enable discriminatory behaviors in the first place.

At this critical moment, it’s time to shift the paradigm and reimagine employers’ role in fostering fair and equitable workplaces. Below are three ‘ideal workplace standards’ employers can adopt right away to do just that:

Ideal Workplace Standard #1: Design a hiring and recruitment process that centers the needs of caregivers.

Ideal Workplace Standard #2: Create clear scheduling and work hour expectations that embrace culture changes.

Ideal Workplace Standard #3: Provide a pathway to fair promotions and reframe the definition of leadership.

It’s past time to shift the paradigm — and use all proven tools that are available to create workplaces that are safe, fair, and dignified for all.

Read the full article about behavioral design standards by Tina Tchen and Katy Davis at ideas42.