FIFO - general discussion

[travelislife]

Did FIFO for approx. 2 years, based in Melbourne travelling to/from Olympic Dam. So needed 2 flights each way. Two different contracts. One was Mon-Fri, the other 9-5. Mon-Fri was draining. Leave home at 5am, arrive about 11:30am and straight to work until 6pm. Then 6am-6pm every day, breath test every morning and sometimes random drug test. On the Friday work until about 4:30pm and then get flight out, arriving home in Melbourne at about 11pm to do it all again on Monday. Airport got rained out a couple of times, so would car pool and do the drive to Adelaide. Also had a couple of times fly from Adelaide, couldn’t land, turn around and fly back to Adelaide.

 

[9171]

Did FIFO for approx. 2 years, based in Melbourne travelling to/from Olympic Dam. So needed 2 flights each way. Two different contracts. One was Mon-Fri, the other 9-5. Mon-Fri was draining. Leave home at 5am, arrive about 11:30am and straight to work until 6pm. Then 6am-6pm every day, breath test every morning and sometimes random drug test. On the Friday work until about 4:30pm and then get flight out, arriving home in Melbourne at about 11pm to do it all again on Monday. Airport got rained out a couple of times, so would car pool and do the drive to Adelaide. Also had a couple of times fly from Adelaide, couldn’t land, turn around and fly back to Adelaide.

Am I understanding correctly that you were working 5/2 swings, as in working Monday to Friday, MEl-ADL-OLP? That would be a hellish routine unless it was compensated by all travel being in work time? That would mean you were being paid for 5 x 12 hr shifts per week? Or am I guessing correctly also that the position was based on FIFO from Adelaide, and you had to cop all the travel time MEL-ADL in your own time and maybe even at your own dollar?
9.

 

[travelislife]

Am I understanding correctly that you were working 5/2 swings, as in working Monday to Friday, MEl-ADL-OLP? That would be a hellish routine unless it was compensated by all travel being in work time? That would mean you were being paid for 5 x 12 hr shifts per week? Or am I guessing correctly also that the position was based on FIFO from Adelaide, and you had to cop all the travel time MEL-ADL in your own time and maybe even at your own dollar?
9.

Yes 5/2. Monday to Friday. All flights paid for from MEL. It was essentially a fixed weekly contract rate, but yea effectively all my time paid for as that was accounted in to the rate. Second contract was 9/5, which although missed every second weekend, was much more sustainable it felt. Though it was never going to be a long term lifestyle for me. Worked for that period of time pre kids and no commitments. Don’t know how people do it with a family.

 

[9171]

Yes 5/2. Monday to Friday. All flights paid for from MEL. It was essentially a fixed weekly contract rate, but yea effectively all my time paid for as that was accounted in to the rate. Second contract was 9/5, which although missed every second weekend, was much more sustainable it felt. Though it was never going to be a long term lifestyle for me. Worked for that period of time pre kids and no commitments. Don’t know how people do it with a family.

I hear you. My current swing is perhaps what is the new norm for first-rate positions: 8/6. So yes, every second weekend off. I feel it is great for me, especially as I have no needy-age kids Even so, FIFO is not a standard work situation, and families suffer from this work style. Another AFF member, Markis10, way back in 2014 posted about a research paper of the effects of the FIFO lifestyle on families. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2014-02/apo-nid38172.pdf

Post automatically merged: Sunday at 9:49 PM

or try this: Fly-in fly-out workforce practices in Australia: the effects on children and family relationships