Geologists, FIFO work practices and job satisfaction (original) (raw)
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Wellbeing of fly-in/fly-out and drive-in/drive-out employees: Evidence from Australia
"Within the Australian mining industry, Fly- in/Fly-out (FIFO) and Drive-in/Drive-out (DIDO) are common types of employment for people working in remote areas. While the number of such FIFO/DIDO employees has increased over recent years, research into the wellbeing of these employees is limited (Sipek, 2012). This paper reports on a recent Australian study of FIFO/DIDO employees, which explores the lifestyle of these employees and the factors associated with their psychosocial wellbeing, with the aim of identifying the potential risk factors for psychological distress amongst the FIFO/DIDO population. The survey of Australian FIFO/DIDO employees was undertaken in 2012, with participants recruited using a snowballing technique and through social networking sites and forums. In total, 150 FIFO/DIDO employees completed the anonymous questionnaire, which included demographic and lifestyle items as well as a range of measures assessing aspects of psychosocial wellbeing. A key finding of this study is that 72% of participants expect to cease FIFO/DIDO employment within the next five years. Additionally, severe to extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptomology was reported by 26%, 24% and 36% of participants, respectively. The participants’ employment decisions were found to be related to their psychosocial wellbeing as well as to site and employment conditions. As such, understanding the factors affecting employee social and psychological wellbeing provides further insight into employee turnover and will better equip companies to manage the recruitment and retention of FIFO/DIDO employees. "
PloS one, 2018
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychological distress in employees in the metalliferous mining industry in Australia, and to examine associated demographic, health, and workplace characteristics. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 1,799 participants from four metalliferous mines. Psychological distress was measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), alongside other measures of personal demographics, health history, health behaviour, and workplace characteristics. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to examine associations between psychological distress and personal and workplace characteristics. Levels of moderate to very high psychological distress were significantly higher in this sample (44.4%) compared to the general population (27.2%). Moderate to very high psychological distress was significantly associated with younger age; individual health factors (a prior history of depression, anxiety, or drug/alco...
Fly-in / fly-out working arrangements: Employee perceptions of work and personal impacts
2020
During the resources boom in Western Australia, the remoteness and nature of work contracts led to an increase in the use of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) working arrangements. The associated compressed work periods, alternating patterns of residence, and the harsh worksite living conditions were compensated for by high wages. The combination of these factors led to controversy around whether employees were committed to their employers (Walford, 2012), if their working arrangements conflicted with family arrangements, and the impact on their mental health (Education and Health Standing Committee, 2015). This thesis explored the impact of FIFO working arrangements on workers in each of these areas using correlations and path analyses. The resources boom (circa 2012) provided the opportunity to survey FIFO workers (n = 980; 75.6% male) across Australia by a cross-sectional online or paper survey. A convenience sample was recruited through multiple methods including social media, radio, and sn...