FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out), and DIDO (Drive-In, Drive Out) work is quite well known in Australia, across industries that include mining, or more commonly in Wellington Shire, oil and gas. It's also developed a bit of a reputation for being pretty hard on your mental health. So is it really all bad? And is it true that some people just aren't 'cut out' for FIFO work? Maybe. But there's a lot more factors at play...

In this episode, we chat to FIFO workers and their family members about the effects of FIFO/DIDO work on mental health and family life. We also look at what employers can do to safeguard the mental health of their FIFO/DIDO workers, and help their workers enjoy the advantages of working FIFO, too. 

Experts featured in this episode:

• Daniel, FIFO worker (mining)
• Danny, FIFO worker (oil and gas)
• FIFO worker family members: Jac and Milla
• Linda Hunt, Working Well in Wellington Project Manager and FIFO worker family member
• Dr. Jade Murray, Monash University (sleep expert)
• Helen McAdam, retired Social Worker and Working Well in Wellington program instigator

About Make the Shift:
Make the Shift is a podcast produced as part of the Working Well in Wellington Toolkit, a toolkit designed to help shift workers and their employers develop and implement ways to ensure their mental health. For more information about the project, and to download the toolkit, visit maketheshift.org.au.

To find out more about the development of the Working Well in Wellington project, take a listen to the bonus episode of this podcast: Behind Working Well in Wellington. You can also listen to the full interviews with our experts in your podcast feed.

This podcast, and the toolkit, was produced by Wellington Primary Care Partnership, and funded by WorkSafe's WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.

This podcast was recorded and produced in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gunaikurnai and Bunurong peoples.
Audio production by Jet Streamer (jetstreamer.com.au).