This has generally been my experience as well. I used to work as a retail manager at a cellphone store before moving to social services after the pandemic made me reevaluate my career. I had a more chaotic schedule due to the needs of the store, but having some flexibility was nice if I had a doctor’s appointment or something similar.Working 8-5, Monday through Friday, with an hour lunch is awesome in terms of consistency and work-life balance, but it sucks having to use sick hours to do anything essential on a weekday. Additionally, as someone with depression and anxiety, if I’m having a bad week, 40 hours in 5 days can weigh heavily on me at times.Luckily, I was able to get a job where I can work from home full-time, which has made things much easier compared to a formal office. I think a 4/10 (4 days working 10 hours) or 9/80 (9 hours with every other week being a 4-day work week) schedule with an employer that allows some flexibility is the ideal arrangement if that option is available to you. Good luck at your future job!