FIFO Mental Health & Relationships: How Camp Workers Stay Sane (and Together) on Rotation

Camp work is one of the best money moves in the culinary world. No rent, no groceries, big rotations, bigger savings. What gets talked about less, over coffee in the crib room, is what weeks away do to your head and to the people waiting at home.

The good news is that this has been studied properly, and the research doesn't just list problems. It points to specific things that make a real difference, many of them in your control.

If you're struggling right now, skip to "Where to get help right now" below. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8. In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 911 or 000.

What the research actually found

In 2015, a Western Australian parliamentary committee investigated FIFO work and mental health after a series of FIFO worker suicides. It recommended rosters that better support mental health, including even-time rosters, and a code of practice covering rosters, fatigue, culture, bullying, communication and camp facilities.

The WA government then funded the most comprehensive study of FIFO workers yet. Researchers from Curtin University and the University of Western Australia surveyed more than 3,000 FIFO workers, 400 partners and 300 former FIFO workers, and tracked 200 workers through their rosters. Published in 2018, it found:

33% of FIFO workers had high or very high psychological distress, compared with 17% of non-FIFO workers.
Burnout and workplace bullying were higher than in comparable non-FIFO workers.
FIFO workers drank more on average, and more of them drank at risky levels. The researchers describe alcohol and other drug use as an ineffective coping strategy.
Loneliness on site affected mental health.
Partners were at risk too. A third of FIFO partners also had high or very high distress, more than double the rate for women in the general population.
Camp and catering staff were among the hardest hit. Mental health was worse across every measure for contractors, construction workers, and camp, catering and logistics staff. If you work in a camp kitchen, this research is about you.

The same research found about a third of workers had fairly low distress. In other words, FIFO doesn't break everyone, and the difference often comes down to how the work is set up and how people handle it.

Why camp life gets to people

Long days, many in a row. Ten- to twelve-hour shifts for two to four weeks leave little room to recover.
Sleep disruption. Night shifts and noisy camps mess with sleep, and poor sleep amplifies everything else.
Living two lives. Switching between camp mode and home mode every few weeks is hard, and the research found difficulty with that transition was linked to riskier drinking.
Helplessness about home. When something goes wrong at home, you're a flight away.
Stigma. Lifeline WA has identified three barriers that stop FIFO workers seeking help: not knowing what support exists, not being able to reach it, and stigma, the fear of looking weak. Stigma was the biggest.

What actually helps on site

These come straight from what the Curtin research found was linked to better mental health.

Choose your roster with care. Workers on even-time and shorter rosters (2 weeks on/2 off, 8/6, 5/2) had the best mental health. High-compression rosters and long travel ate into recovery. If you have the choice, weigh this alongside the pay. Our rosters guide breaks down the trade-offs.

Day shift if you can get it. Day shift only was best for mental health. If you're on nights, protect your sleep fiercely: blackout, earplugs, same hours every day.

Ask for a permanent room. Having the same room each swing was linked to better mental health than moving around.

Be social, even when you don't feel like it. The study found social activities like barbecues and team sports were linked to better mental health, more than amenities alone. A card game in the rec room counts.

Talk to the people around you. Supportive supervisors and teammates made a measurable difference. Find one person on site you can be honest with.

Look after the basics. Regular breaks at work, exercise, decent food (you're in the right job for that), wind-down time before bed, and managing fatigue across the whole swing.

Watch the drinking. If you're at a wet camp, notice if the bar is becoming the way you switch off. That's the pattern the research warns about.

What helps at home and in your relationship

The Curtin researchers also looked at what FIFO workers and partners did that worked, and what didn't.

Make a plan together. Agree on how long you'll do FIFO, what the money is for, and what the exit looks like. Couples with no financial goal, no contingency and no exit plan were on the negative list.

Set a communication rhythm that suits both of you. Regular contact matters, but it has to fit both routines. A five-minute call at a set time can beat a stressful video call in the middle of the kids' bedtime.

Plan R&R, don't just fall into it. Decide ahead what the time off is for: rest, family, friends, jobs around the house. Drifting through R&R and losing touch with friends and hobbies was a warning sign in the research.

Share the load when you're home. The partner at home runs everything while you're away. Pitch in on household and family jobs during R&R instead of treating it as a holiday from home life.

Be flexible with kids. Children's needs change between swings. The researchers specifically flagged recognising different family needs and being flexible, especially with children.

Protect R&R from work. Accepting work that bleeds into your days off was on the negative list. Ask about this before you take a job.

Build a support network for the partner at home, too. Friends, family, other FIFO partners. Support groups for FIFO families exist in Australia, and your employer's assistance program usually covers family members.

For relocating chefs with families, see our guide to chef jobs abroad for families.

Signs it's time to check in, on yourself or a mate

Pulling away from the crew or from calls home
Drinking more than usual, or needing a drink to switch off
Sleeping badly for more than a few nights in a row
Snapping at people, or feeling flat and numb
Not enjoying R&R, or dreading going back more than usual
Talking about being a burden, or not seeing the point

If you notice it in a crewmate, ask directly and listen. You don't need the right words. Asking "are you doing alright, really?" and meaning it is often enough to open the door.

Where to get help right now

You don't need to be in crisis to reach out. Most of these services also help with stress, relationship strain and burnout.

Your employer's assistance program (EFAP or EAP). Most big camp caterers offer free, confidential counselling for workers and family. Civeo, for example, lists an Employee & Family Assistance Program among its camp job benefits. Ask HR or the camp manager how to access it. The site medic can also help.

Canada

9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8, 24/7, in English or French. You can also contact it if you're worried about someone else. (988.ca)
Emergency: 911

Australia

Lifeline: 13 11 14, 24/7, or text 0477 13 11 14, or chat online at lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78
Circle Green Community Legal (WA): 1800 929 250, free and confidential support after sexual harassment or assault on a mine site
Emergency: 000

Lifeline WA also publishes practical mental wellbeing resources for FIFO and regional communities.

Knowing when it's time to stop

Camp work works best as a chapter with a purpose. The research put persisting with FIFO despite a significant impact on the worker's or family's mental health on its list of harmful strategies.

If the money is no longer worth what it's costing, that's not failure. It's the plan working. Many chefs use a few years of camp work to clear debt or save a deposit, then move back into hotel, resort or restaurant kitchens with options. Our guide to the seasonal chef strategy shows other ways to keep earning well with more time at home.

FAQ

Is FIFO work bad for your mental health? It raises the risk. The largest study of FIFO workers found a third had high psychological distress, about double the rate of non-FIFO workers. But many FIFO workers do well, and roster, culture and personal habits make a big difference.

Which FIFO roster is best for mental health? The Curtin University research found even-time and shorter rosters, such as 2 weeks on/2 off and 8/6, had the best mental health outcomes, and day shift only was best.

How do couples make FIFO work? Agree on a plan with a goal and an end date, set a communication routine that suits both of you, plan R&R together, share the load at home, and get support for the partner at home too.

Is counselling confidential through my employer? Employee assistance programs are designed to be confidential. If you're unsure, ask the provider directly before you start.

Looking for camp work with more time at home? Filter for even-time rotations on our remote camp and FIFO chef jobs page, like this head chef role on a 2:2 roster out of Cairns.