8/657%of cycle on swing
Eight days on, six off
A relatively short swing with six rostered days away from site. Travel timing can reduce the usable break at home.
Ask before accepting
Does the swing stay on days, rotate to nights, or contain both?
FIFO life in Australia
The shift ends.
The roster keeps working.
Rosters, flights, camp routines, sleep, relationships and the trip home all shape the job. This guide explains the practical life around the worksite.
Original conceptual editorial visual · The FIFO Hub · AI-assisted · not a named camp or employer
The honest starting point
FIFO is not one lifestyle.
A mine employee on an 8/6 roster, a shutdown worker moving between short campaigns and a construction worker on 2/1 can all say they work FIFO. Their time away, job security, pay structure, camp routine and recovery demands may be completely different.
The useful question is not simply, “Can I handle FIFO?” It is whether a particular role, roster, travel arrangement and camp work with your health, responsibilities and reasons for doing the job.
A roster that looks attractive on a calendar can feel different after early flights, twelve-hour shifts, night work and the transition back home.Why mining towns have a ghost population
Roster comparison
Read the pattern—and the life around it.
These are representative patterns, not promises. Actual hours, travel days, day/night rotation, leave and swing changes depend on the employer, project and role.
7/750%of cycle on swing
Seven days on, seven off
Even time on paper. Some roles alternate day and night swings, which can make body-clock transitions a major part of the break.
Ask before accepting
How are day-to-night transitions rostered, and when do flights occur?
2/167%of cycle on swing
Fourteen days on, seven off
A longer block of consecutive workdays. It may suit project and contractor work, but recovery and home responsibilities need realistic planning.
Ask before accepting
How many consecutive shifts, what are the hours, and is overtime expected?
2/250%of cycle on swing
Fourteen days on, fourteen off
A long swing followed by an even break. The extended time away can be demanding even when the annual split looks balanced.
Ask before accepting
Is the role permanent, casual, contract or project-based, and how is leave handled?
Roster mathematics: “On swing” percentages describe the repeating calendar pattern only. They do not calculate paid hours, annual earnings, leave, travel time, overtime, shutdown gaps or the quality of time at home.
Roster maths
Paid hours per swing, per week and over a year.
These figures assume every rostered on-day contains 12 paid hours and the pattern repeats continuously across an average 365.25-day year. “Per week” is the long-run average across both work and R&R—not the hours worked during seven consecutive days on site.
| Roster | Pattern | Paid hours per swing | Cycle-average hours per week | Average annual roster hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/6 | 8 on · 6 off | 96 hours | 48 hours | 2,504.6 hours |
| 7/7 | 7 on · 7 off | 84 hours | 42 hours | 2,191.5 hours |
| 2/1 | 14 on · 7 off | 168 hours | 56 hours | 2,922.0 hours |
| 2/2 | 14 on · 14 off | 168 hours | 42 hours | 2,191.5 hours |
Hours per swingOn-days × 12
Average hours per weekHours per swing ÷ cycle days × 7
Average annual hoursHours per swing ÷ cycle days × 365.25
Annual gross equivalentAnnual hours × flat hourly rate
Annualised gross pay at different flat hourly rates
The table converts the average annual roster hours above into a gross annual equivalent. It is a comparison tool, not a guaranteed salary or take-home-pay estimate.
| Roster | $50/hour | $60/hour | $70/hour | $80/hour | $90/hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/6 | $125,229 | $150,274 | $175,320 | $200,366 | $225,411 |
| 7/7 | $109,575 | $131,490 | $153,405 | $175,320 | $197,235 |
| 2/1 | $146,100 | $175,320 | $204,540 | $233,760 | $262,980 |
| 2/2 | $109,575 | $131,490 | $153,405 | $175,320 | $197,235 |
Not a guaranteed salary: This simple model treats the quoted rate as one flat rate for every calculated roster hour. Actual ordinary hours, unpaid breaks, overtime, weekend or night penalties, allowances, casual loading, paid leave, public holidays, superannuation, travel, training, stand-downs and roster changes can produce a different result. Check the employment contract and applicable award or registered agreement, then use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool where relevant.
Same numbers, different body clock
Ask how days and nights sit inside the swing.
An 8/6 roster can mean fixed days, alternating day and night swings or a change within the same swing. Those are different fatigue and home-life propositions.
Fixed days
Every swing remains on day shift. This removes day/night rotation but does not remove fatigue from early starts, long shifts, heat, travel or overtime.
Alternating swings
One swing on days and the next on nights. The break may include both recovery from the last pattern and preparation for the next one.
Mid-swing change
Days and nights occur within the same swing. Ask how the changeover, recovery period and transport are designed before assuming the roster label tells the whole story.
Rolling or relief roster
Start dates can be staggered and a relief worker may cover leave or different crews. Predictability, room allocation and flight times can vary more than on a fixed crew.
Project or shutdown roster
The advertised pattern may be a campaign plan rather than an ongoing cycle. Extensions, weather, handback timing and gaps between jobs can change the lived roster.
Residential, DIDO or BIBO
Mining work can use daily residential travel, drive-in drive-out or bus-in bus-out arrangements. The fatigue and home-time calculation must include the real commute.
The seven questions
Know what the roster label leaves out.
- 01
Point of hireWhich airport or location does the employer's travel responsibility begin and end?
- 02
Travel daysDo flights happen on workdays, break days or a mixture—and how does that affect usable time at home?
- 03
Shift hoursWhat are the ordinary hours, breaks, pre-start expectations and likely overtime?
- 04
Days and nightsIs the roster fixed, rotating or split within a swing? How often does the pattern change?
- 05
Employment typePermanent, maximum-term, casual, labour hire and project work can treat leave and gaps differently.
- 06
Camp and roomWhich village, what facilities, and is the room permanent, shared between swings or reassigned?
- 07
VariationCan swings be extended, shortened or moved? What notice is normally given?
Roster language
Eight terms worth clarifying.
The same term can be used differently between operators, contractors and projects. Ask what it means in the actual offer.
- Swing
- One continuous block away or rostered for work, such as eight days in an 8/6 cycle.
- R&R
- Rostered rest and recreation time between swings. It is not automatically the same thing as annual leave.
- Point of hire
- The place where the employer's agreed travel arrangement begins and ends, often Perth or another nominated airport.
- Fly day
- The travel day into or out of site. Confirm whether it is also a workday, rostered day, paid time or part of the break.
- Back-to-back
- The worker or crew completing the opposite half of a continuous roster and often receiving the handover.
- Holdover
- Remaining on site beyond the expected departure, for example because of operational need, weather or disrupted travel. Terms vary.
- Roster change
- A change to the regular days or ordinary hours. Applicable awards or agreements can add notice and consultation requirements.
- Annualised package
- A salary or package expressed annually. Compare the included ordinary hours, overtime, allowances, leave and super—not only the headline figure.
Roster changes: Fair Work guidance says employers proposing a change to a regular roster or ordinary hours generally need to provide information, invite views and consider the impact. The applicable award or registered agreement can set additional rules, while irregular or unpredictable hours may be treated differently.
Travel days
The swing starts before the first pre-start.
Flights, buses, queues, baggage, delays and the trip to the point of hire can turn a nominal break into less recovery than the roster suggests.
Home
Final sleep, packing and travel to the point of hire
Airport
Check-in, screening, baggage and possible delays
Flight
Charter or commercial travel to a regional airport
Bus
Transfer to village, site or mobilisation location
Camp
Room allocation, induction, meals and next-shift preparation
Keep identification, licences, medication in original packaging, essential PPE instructions, chargers and one change of clothes accessible. Follow airline and employer rules.
Check charter limits, dangerous-goods restrictions, tools, aerosols and battery requirements before packing. Rules may differ from a normal commercial flight.
If you are too fatigued to drive safely after travelling, do not simply push through. Use your employer's fatigue process and arrange a safer option.
Camp life
A room, a mess and a routine built around the shift.
“Camp” can mean an established village with extensive facilities or temporary project accommodation with fewer options. Ask what the actual village provides.
Established village
A large, long-running accommodation village may have permanent rooms, multiple mess services, a gym, recreation facilities, reception, security and an on-site medical or wellbeing service.
Construction camp
A project camp may expand and contract with mobilisation. Rooms and services can be modular, occupancy can change quickly and the village may be further from the operating site.
Exploration or remote camp
Smaller field camps can have limited connectivity, shared facilities and different transport, power, water and emergency arrangements. Confirm the actual standard before travel.
Town accommodation
Some crews use a motel, lodge or company house in a regional town rather than a mine village. Meals, transport, laundry, privacy and conduct arrangements can be different.
What you may find
The facilities behind the workday.
Your room
Usually a compact private room; ensuite, storage, fridge, desk, blackout quality, noise and permanent-room arrangements vary.
Mess
Meals are normally provided during service windows. Choice, nutrition, takeaway crib options and night-shift access differ by village.
Crib facilities
Some workers pack food at the mess; others receive crib packs or use workplace facilities. Confirm what your site provides.
Laundry
Shared washing machines and dryers are common. Bring a simple laundry routine and label personal items if the village recommends it.
Gym & recreation
Facilities may include a gym, pool, courts, walking areas or recreation rooms. Opening hours and quality vary.
Wet mess
Some camps provide licensed alcohol service and others are dry. Site alcohol limits, testing rules and fitness-for-work requirements still apply.
Transport
Buses may connect the airport, village and work areas. Missing the bus can be more than an inconvenience, so learn the system early.
Reception & support
Reception, security, village management, medics, supervisors and EAP contacts form different parts of the support network.
First arrival
Six checks before you set the alarm.
The first evening is easier when the essentials are located before dark, fatigue or a very early bus.
- 01
Check in
Show the required identification, receive the room or village access details and confirm the checkout or room-change process.
- 02
Find the room
Check the door, lock, air-conditioning, smoke alarm, linen, bathroom and any pre-existing damage. Report faults rather than improvising repairs.
- 03
Learn the emergency plan
Locate the evacuation diagram, muster point, alarms, emergency number and route from the room in darkness.
- 04
Map the routine
Find the mess, crib collection, buses, laundry, drinking water, gym, reception, medic and any designated smoking or social areas.
- 05
Check tomorrow
Confirm wake-up time, bus stop, shift start, induction or pre-start location, PPE and what food or water is taken to work.
- 06
Secure the essentials
Store identification, medication, keys and valuables safely. Use the approved channel for room, security or welfare concerns.
Camp etiquette
Small habits make shared living work.
- Keep noise down near rooms—someone may be sleeping for night shift at any hour.
- Use designated smoking and social areas, and follow village rules.
- Leave shared laundries, gyms and crib areas ready for the next person.
- Do not photograph or post other residents without permission.
- Report room defects, security concerns and inappropriate behaviour through the proper channel.
Camp is not “off policy”
Fitness for work starts before the bus.
Alcohol, drugs, prescription effects, fatigue, harassment, visitors, photography and conduct can remain subject to employer, client and village rules outside the physical work area. Testing may occur at camp or before site access.
Read the FIFO medicals and testing guide →Camp questions
What first-time workers usually want to know.
There is no universal camp standard. The mobilisation pack and village rules are the source for your room and swing.
Do FIFO workers always get their own room?
Not always. A private room is common in established villages, but ensuite facilities, permanent allocation and storage vary. Some rooms are reassigned or used by the opposite roster when the worker is away; confirm the actual arrangement.
Are meals included at mining camps?
Meals are commonly supplied through the village mess, with crib or takeaway arrangements for the shift. Service hours, night-shift access, dietary options and any charges depend on the employer and camp.
Do camps provide linen and towels?
Many do, but the replacement schedule and whether towels, toiletries or laundry bags are supplied varies. Read the mobilisation information before packing extras.
Is Wi-Fi and mobile reception available?
Many established camps offer Wi-Fi or mobile coverage, but speed, coverage, login rules and reliability vary. Do not rely on camp internet for urgent family or financial arrangements without a backup plan.
Can alcohol be consumed at camp?
Some villages have a licensed wet mess, some impose limits and some are dry. Employer and client fitness-for-work rules can apply at camp and before the next shift. Never assume the presence of a bar changes the testing policy.
Can visitors or partners stay at camp?
Usually only authorised workers and approved visitors can access a village. Do not invite or transport another person without the required permission and access process.
What if the room is noisy or unsuitable for sleep?
Report noise, air-conditioning, lighting, hygiene, pest or room-security problems promptly. Accommodation issues that reduce sleep opportunity can become fatigue and safety risks.
What happens to the room between swings?
Some workers keep a permanent room; others remove belongings or use allocated storage while the room is reissued. Confirm the room-clearance, storage and prohibited-item rules before leaving site.
Fatigue is a work-health risk
More than feeling tired.
Safe Work Australia describes fatigue as physical, mental or emotional impairment that can prevent people functioning safely. It can arise from work and non-work factors.
- 01
Work design
Shift length, night work, consecutive shifts, overtime, breaks, task demands and roster changes.
- 02
Sleep opportunity
The actual time left for travel, meals, washing, wind-down and sleep between duties.
- 03
Sleep obtained
Room noise, light, temperature, body-clock timing, health, stress and personal choices can all affect sleep.
- 04
Alertness
Fatigue can reduce attention, judgement, reaction time, communication and the ability to recognise changing risk.
- 05
Exposure
Driving, mobile plant, electrical work, lifting, heights and other safety-critical tasks increase the consequence of an error.
- 06
Recovery
Breaks, rostered time off, sleep, workload adjustment, support and medical assessment where needed.
Work and site controls
Good work design comes first.
- Manage actual hours, overtime, breaks and consecutive shifts
- Design predictable rosters with adequate recovery opportunity
- Consider workload, heat, noise, monotony and safety-critical timing
- Provide a reporting process that workers can use without pressure to hide fatigue
- Act on accommodation, transport and scheduling problems that reduce sleep opportunity
Worker actions
Use the controls—and speak early.
- Protect the available sleep window and prepare the room for sleep
- Report fatigue, illness, medication effects or repeated sleep problems through the approved process
- Take rostered breaks and avoid adding unnecessary sleep loss
- Do not drive or perform safety-critical work when you cannot do so safely
- Seek medical advice for persistent fatigue, snoring or sleep problems rather than self-diagnosing
Shift-work sleep
Build the room and routine around the sleep window.
The Sleep Health Foundation advises that many healthy adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep in each 24-hour period, although individual needs vary.
Use the room's blackout controls or an eye mask where allowed. Reduce bright light and stimulating screens close to sleep.
Use approved earplugs or steady background noise if helpful, while ensuring required alarms and emergency warnings remain audible.
Set a comfortable room temperature and report air-conditioning, bedding or noise faults that interfere with sleep.
Keep a repeatable wind-down and sleep schedule for each shift type where practical. Plan the transition to days off.
Its effects can last for hours and vary between people. Consider timing it so it supports the shift without undermining the next sleep.
Alcohol can reduce sleep quality. Discuss melatonin, sleeping tablets or medication effects with a health professional rather than improvising.
Health boundary: This is general information, not a diagnosis or personal treatment plan. Use your site's fatigue and fitness-for-work procedures. For persistent fatigue or sleep concerns, speak with a GP or appropriate health professional.
Wellbeing on swing
Protect the basics before chasing a perfect routine.
Site facilities, health needs and shift timing differ. A simple routine that survives busy days is usually more useful than an ambitious plan that lasts two shifts.
Sleep anchor
Protect the main sleep window first. Treat room preparation and wind-down as part of the shift routine.
Food pattern
Use the options available to build regular meals that support the shift. Keep lighter choices available when eating close to sleep.
Hydration
Follow site heat and hydration controls. Needs vary with work, weather, health and PPE; raise concerns early.
Movement
Short, repeatable exercise or mobility work can be easier to sustain than trying to train hard after every long shift.
Connection
Agree on realistic contact with home and keep some connection with people on site. Isolation can build quietly.
Support
Know the medic, EAP, supervisor, peer-support and external options before you need them.
33%reported high psychological distress
One important study—not a label for every worker.
A 2018 WA Government-funded study involving more than 3,000 FIFO workers and family members reported high psychological distress among 33% of FIFO workers, compared with 17% of non-FIFO workers. The finding supports better work design, accommodation, culture and access to support; it does not predict any one person's experience.
Read the WA Government summary ↗Relationships and returning home
Two routines meet at the front door.
The worker may arrive depleted and ready to switch off. The household may be ready to reconnect, share decisions or hand back responsibilities. Neither need is automatically wrong.
Make the invisible work visible.
Agree who handles bills, appointments, school, pets, maintenance and emergencies. Share the roster and travel details.
Choose reliable contact over constant contact.
Set a realistic rhythm around shifts, sleep and home routines. Leave room for urgent calls and for days when one person has little energy.
Plan the handover.
Discuss what needs attention now, what can wait and whether a short recovery window is practical. Avoid making the whole break a delayed task list.
Protect individual and shared time.
Time with children, partners, friends and alone all matter. Plan enough structure to reconnect without scheduling every hour.
Reset the household plan.
Confirm the next travel day, unfinished priorities and who carries each responsibility during the next swing. Do not leave the whole handover until the airport.
Money and purpose
Give the time away a job to do.
FIFO income can drift into higher spending because the work feels costly and the break feels like a reward. A clearer plan ties the roster to a reason: debt reduction, a home deposit, training, family security, investment or a defined exit point.
- Build the household budget around dependable income, not hoped-for overtime.
- Check the employment type, ordinary hours, allowances, leave, superannuation and travel terms in writing.
- Account for duplicated costs, travel to the point of hire and unpaid gaps where relevant.
- Automate agreed savings before break-time spending expands.
- Review whether the money still justifies the roster and time away.
General information only. Check your contract, applicable award or agreement, payslips, tax position and personal financial circumstances with qualified sources.
First-swing checklist
From confirmed offer to the first days home.
Use employer mobilisation instructions as the authority. This expanded checklist helps you prepare and ask; it does not override airline, site, medical or emergency procedures.
- 01Offer to mobilisation
Do not treat a verbal start as a confirmed flight.
- Check employer, role, roster and point of hire in writing
- Complete medicals, screening, licences and inductions through verified systems
- Wait for formal mobilisation and travel confirmation before making irreversible decisions
- 02Seven days out
Build one travel and document pack.
- Confirm photo ID, licence cards, booking details and emergency contacts
- Check baggage weight, airline dangerous-goods rules and employer packing instructions
- Prepare medication, prescriptions and any approved declaration evidence
- 03Day before travel
Protect the first sleep window.
- Recheck flight, pickup point, baggage and mobilisation contact
- Charge devices and keep power banks or spare batteries in carry-on as required
- Avoid turning the final night at home into an all-night packing exercise
- 04Travel and arrival
Follow the chain all the way to the room.
- Allow time for check-in and declare restricted or dangerous goods
- Stay with the nominated transfer and tell the contact if travel is disrupted
- At camp, find the room, mess, bus, muster point, medic and reception
- 05First pre-start
Know who is responsible for you.
- Meet the supervisor, buddy or crew contact
- Confirm role boundaries, work area, transport, crib and communication channels
- Ask how to report fatigue, injury, medication effects, hazards or uncertainty
- 06First three shifts
Learn the system before trying to impress it.
- Use the site procedure, permit, isolation and supervision arrangements
- Write down bus, meal, laundry and shift timings
- Raise access, PPE, competency or training gaps early
- 07End of swing
Finish cleanly and prepare for travel.
- Complete timesheets, handover, room and return-travel requirements
- Secure or remove belongings according to the room policy
- Report fatigue before driving after the flight if you cannot travel safely
- 08First days home
Recover, reconnect and review.
- Use the household handover and allow for recovery from travel or nights
- Check pay, allowances, super and any onboarding follow-ups
- Record what to pack, ask or change before the next swing
Packing framework
Six small packs inside one bag.
Start with the employer list. Add only what the airline, village and worksite allow.
Check CASA dangerous-goods guidance ↗Photo ID, booking, licences, mobilisation contact and any documents specifically requested at check-in.
Phone, charger, correctly packed power bank, medication, glasses and essentials needed if checked baggage is delayed.
Only the PPE, workwear, boots, tools or equipment the employer tells you to bring. Confirm what is supplied.
Toiletries, casual clothes and approved sleep supports such as an eye mask or earplugs. Check linen and towel supply first.
Medication in original labelled packaging, enough supply for disruption, and any required confidential declaration evidence.
Shared itinerary, emergency contact route, bills and household handover completed before the flight.
Save these before take-offRecruiter or mobilisation coordinatorTravel disruption numberCamp receptionSupervisor or crew contactSite emergency routeHome emergency contact
Do not guess about medicals or prescriptions. Carry medication correctly, use the approved declaration channel and understand the screen-to-confirmation process before mobilisation.
Open the medicals, PEM and testing guide →Support in Australia
You do not need to wait for a crisis to speak up.
Use your site medic, supervisor, EAP, GP or another trusted service. If life is in immediate danger, call 000.
Mining workers & familiesMATES Helpline1300 642 111 · 24/7Crisis supportLifeline13 11 14 · 24/7Mental-health supportBeyond Blue1300 22 4636 · 24/7Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support13YARN13 92 76 · 24/7Health adviceHealthdirect1800 022 222 · 24/7
Contact details checked 30 August 2026. Call 000 for immediate danger or urgent medical help.
Sources and deeper reading
Authoritative starting points for FIFO life.
Source-checked 30 August 2026. Workplace controls, health needs and employment arrangements must be confirmed for the actual person, role and site.
01↗02↗03↗04↗05↗06↗07↗08↗09↗10↗11↗12↗
Safe Work Australia — managing fatigue risks
Current national guidance on work design, shift patterns, breaks, recovery and shared consultation.
Safe Work Australia — model fatigue code
The 2025 model Code of Practice for eliminating or minimising work-related fatigue risk.
WorkSafe WA — mentally healthy FIFO workplaces
WA's FIFO-specific code covering work design, accommodation, culture, psychosocial hazards and recovery support.
WA Government — FIFO mental-health research
Summary of the 2018 government-funded study involving more than 3,000 FIFO workers and family members.
Sleep Health Foundation — shift work
Australian information on body-clock disruption, sleep, concentration and drowsy driving.
Sleep Health Foundation — healthy sleep for shift workers
Current practical guidance on sleep scheduling, room conditions, caffeine, alcohol, light and transition days.
Healthdirect — fatigue
Government-funded health information, when to seek medical help and the 24/7 health advice line.
MATES in Mining — FIFO support
Industry-specific resources and a free confidential 24/7 helpline for mining workers and families.
Fair Work Ombudsman — rosters
Current guidance on roster definitions, changes and consultation, subject to the applicable award or agreement.
WorkSafe WA — work environment and facilities
WA's code of practice for facilities and work environments covered by the general and mines WHS regulations.
CASA — Pack Right, Safe Flight
Check dangerous-goods rules for power banks, batteries, aerosols, tools and other items before air travel.
WorkSafe WA — drugs and alcohol duties
Fitness-for-work duties include prescribed and over-the-counter medicines as well as alcohol and other drugs.