If you're new to FIFO or thinking about it, the roster talk gets confusing fast. Recruiters throw numbers at you — 2-and-1, 8-and-6, 14-and-7 — and nobody explains what those actually feel like once you're living inside them.
Here's the honest version, from people who've done too many swings and have the permanent eye-bags to prove it.
What "X-and-Y" Actually Means
The first number is the weeks (or days) on site. The second is the weeks (or days) off at home. Simple. What it costs you is less simple.
2-and-1 (Two Weeks On, One Off)
The classic Pilbara swing. You fly in Monday, work 12-hour days for 13 days straight, fly out Sunday. Then you get seven days at home before the cycle restarts. On paper it's a third of your life on site. In practice it's more, because the first day home is a write-off (travel, catch-up sleep) and the last day home is pre-travel anxiety.
Best for: Maximising income per year. You clock roughly 2,300+ hours annually, which puts you in the top bracket for take-home.
Worst for: Anyone with young kids. A week off isn't enough to be a parent in any meaningful sense before you're back on the plane. Relationships run on fumes.
8-and-6 (Eight Days On, Six Off)
Shorter cycles, more frequent transitions. You barely settle into site routine before you're flying out, and barely get grounded at home before you're flying back. Popular on gold and iron ore operations that prioritise worker retention.
Best for: People who can't hack long separations. The break comes often enough to feel real.
Worst for: Circadian stability. Your body never fully adjusts to either schedule. Chronic fatigue is the default.
14-and-7 (Two Weeks On, One Off — but Bigger)
Same ratio as 2-and-1 but the days-on are full 14. More common on LNG, offshore, and some remote infrastructure jobs. You save on flight costs (fewer transitions per year) and rack up longer unbroken stretches of overtime.
Best for: Long-term financial goals — house deposits, debt payoff. The overtime compounds.
Worst for: Mental health in month two onwards. The back half of each swing is brutal. By day 11 you're counting meals until R&R.
The Rosters Nobody Mentions
Recruiters love 2-and-1 because it's simple to sell. The reality is there are dozens of variants: 4-and-3, 9-and-5, 7-and-7, compressed rosters on shutdown, "casual pool" pick-ups. Always ask the actual DIDO/FIFO swing, not just the "roster type." The difference between 8-and-6 and 9-and-5 is 52 extra shifts a year.
What to Ask Before Signing
- Travel time: Is it paid or unpaid? Unpaid flights add two full days to every swing.
- Shift length: 12-hour shifts are standard but some sites run 10s. Your body notices.
- Night rotation: Fixed days are rarer than you think. Most rosters rotate you through nights mid-swing.
- Crib arrangements: How long is smoko, and is there somewhere to actually rest.
- Roster reliability: "Subject to operational needs" is the phrase that kills weddings.
Which One Wins?
There's no winner. Every FIFO worker we know has a roster they love on paper and hate by month six. The honest answer: whichever one lets you keep your relationships intact is the right one for you — and that's usually the one with more home time, even if it pays less.
Your body gives up on any of these schedules eventually. Plan your exit from year one, not year ten.
We make tees for people who actually work these rosters — dry, honest, no "hustle grind" nonsense. Check out the Swing: 2 On, 1 Off Tee if you've pulled more swings than you'd like to admit.