The hidden cost of our estrangement

Wave after wave of COVID-19, many have reinvented their life in the suburbs or in the countryside. But at a time when the city, its towers, restaurants and theaters are teeming with people again, could some have regrets? Should we be wary of “proximity bias”, which could put us at a disadvantage?

Simon Chabot
The Press

Out of sight, out of mind, goes the saying. Proximity bias, psychologists say, basically talking about the same thing: “the unconscious tendency to give preferential treatment to people and things in our immediate surroundings,” in the words of Dr.^D Christine Grou, president of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec.

In everyday life, it will thus be easier to think of inviting a friend who lives nearby for an outing than another who lives further away. Just as we are going to favor the businesses of his district, for example. “This bias has always existed, specifies the D^D Group. He was not born with the pandemic. »

Nevertheless, the health crisis has disrupted many “entourages”, pushing some to leave the city and many others to reorganize their lives around teleworking. However, as people reconnect with a richer social and professional life, the proximity bias invites itself into many reflections.

“For someone who is a fan of Place des Arts or who goes to a restaurant regularly, it was perhaps not the best thing to leave the city”, illustrates the psychologist.

Those who have idealized the countryside without fully understanding the effects of a move on their activities and associations are more likely to find themselves isolated and to have regrets, now that the fear of others is lessened.

“Any change risks leading to questioning”, recalls the D^D Group. It can be very healthy, at this stage, to review certain choices made in a context of confinement which no longer necessarily correspond to one’s life objectives, she assesses.

Not back yet

For the moment, real estate brokers are not seeing a movement back to the city. In the opinion of many, the appeal of the suburbs or the countryside remains strong, in a market jostled by the rise in interest rates.

“Our clients who have left town tell us that they are very happy with their decision,” says François Mackay, founding president of Groupe Mackay, an agency active on and off the island. And we still receive multiple offers in the suburbs, not in the city. »

Yannick Sarrazin, who leads a team of brokers mainly present in central neighborhoods, however, expects buyers to return to Montreal soon. “My crystal ball is no better than the others, but I think it will come,” he said.

Simon Léger, agency manager and partner at Bardagi real estate team, also believes in a probable renewed interest in the city. Because it finds its attractions, but also because some will not have the choice. “I have friends who have been called back to face-to-face work,” he says. Life in the Laurentians no longer worked for them. »

Go to the office or not?

Where teleworking is possible, many employers rely on a hybrid mode, which leaves employees some leeway. But with this flexibility comes a dilemma: is the proximity bias likely to favor in-person followers?

Those who work in the office seem to believe it. Two-thirds (63%) of them believe that their presence gives them better opportunities for advancement, reveals a survey conducted by Maru Public Opinion and ADP Canada in December 2021.

More worrying for those who choose to stay at home: according to another survey conducted in the United States the same year by the Society for Human Resource Management, 67% of managers consider that teleworkers are more easily replaceable than others.

Quick, everyone in the office? Not so fast, believes the D^D Group. “The proximity bias also exists in the workplace, between employees on the same floor for example, and the solution is not to go back to the model we had before. »

Employers who allow telework to treat their employees fairly, continues the psychologist. “For important discussions and communications, or for social events, the modality must be the same for everyone, in person or remotely,” she says. That way, we don’t introduce bias. »