Can't go to places open 9-5 when I work 9-5

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I'm was gonna suggest this. Some places here require a doctors note/excuse but you should only have to turn that in to personal/human resources or your supervisor/manger & they should keep the specific reason secret.

Luckily I never worked a regular 9 to 5 job. I worked afternoon & evenings at my 1st job, worked nights at my 2nd & my supervisor was willing to schedule me different nights off if I requested it a couple weeks in advance(I worked longer hours when allowed & sometimes came in on my off nights to when my department was shorthanded so I really deserved to get the nights off I wanted), & my hours & off days fluctuated at my 3rd job which was my last(me & the one other person in my department asked for a consistent schedule but there was some BS reason we couldn't).

This is a universal problem. About the only way that you can go to appointments and so on, is to ask the boss for time off.

I'd like to add that "work" really has total control over people's lives. Most people hate it, and hate their jobs. We are all prisoners, being forced against our will to "contribute" to the "social good" which is basically, paying taxes.

As far as working, I always encourage either becoming a freelance subcontractor, or starting your own business.

Although in most places that I've worked (at least in the US), employers are more flexible when you need to go see a doctor during the day. Worst case, you need to burn one of your sick days. They may care far more about their bottom line but they realize if you're unwell, it's not good for their business.

Fortunately for me, while I work 8-5 Monday through Thursday, I work half days on Fridays so I can do some things Fridays after work. If I can't schedule something for Friday afternoon such as a doctor's or dentist appointment, I can paid time off for those to either come into work late, or leave shortly after lunch. I just have to let management know in advance I have an appointment first. My job is extremely flexible when it comes to appointments, which is a lucky thing for me.

I've been combining appointments with an out of office lunch with no complaints from my coworkers. I cover for them when they are out of the office.

Anyway, I was seeing a psychologist. Not anymore. Actually my appointment with her was 5:00PM to 5:30 but her office is closer to my house than my work and low ranking government employees like me aren't allowed to use the teleporter.

Why can't you take a day off?

Most people don't have fixed schedules either. They work but their days off vary. Like my mom worked as a nurse and would work 12 hrs a day and her days off varied each week but she always knew every month what days she had off because she knew her monthly schedule. I worked a job and I only knew my days off a couple days before the following week because every week our boss would make a new schedule. But I worked one other job where days off were fixed so my weekends were only Mon and Tues. This meant I missed weekend activities. I was fortunate most places were open on the weekends too. It sucks where you live where everything is closed on the weekend, is it a small town or something?

I noticed in cities, most places are even open on the weekends.

Can you try working part time?

Most people in America get only 2 weeks of vacation a year.

Back in the old days in the 1960's in the States, all stores closed at 5 pm. Then "7-11" came along and it was an instant success. They opened at 7AM and closed at 11PM seven days a week and they offered "slurpees". Since then most retail business have expanded their hours of operation. We even have supermarkets and Walmarts open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I have not found it difficult to go to medical appointments. That is what sick leave is for. So in the States this is not much of an issue. There is still a coordination problem for working women with children, coordinating school schedules, unexpected sickness, child doctor visits, or school closures and school extracurricular activities for their children.

But beyond this, that is what personal leave is for.

Bye-bye vacation. No vacation days left for your trip to Europe or Hawaii to recharge (if you only get 2 weeks a year and end up burning them in all of the unexpected BS that pops up requiring you to miss work during the work day)