FIFO Rosters: 8/6, 2/1, 4/1 and Even Time

How rosters are written

A roster is a repeating cycle: a block of days on site, then a block at home. The 2013 federal inquiry into FIFO and drive-in drive-out work describes rosters as a set number of days on site and a set number of days off site. Job ads shorten that to two numbers with a slash or the word “and”.

8/6 or “8 and 6”: 8 days on, 6 days off. A 14-day cycle.
2/1 or “2 and 1”: 2 weeks on, 1 week off. Written in days it is 14/7 or “14 and 7”. Same roster, 21-day cycle.
4/1 or “4 and 1”: 4 weeks on, 1 week off, or 28/7 in days. RosterElf, a rostering software company, describes it as longer and more typical of remote sites.
Even time: days on equal days off, such as 7/7 or 2/2.

Small numbers are ambiguous. 2/1 usually means weeks and 8/6 usually means days, but an ad may not say. If it does not, ask whether the numbers are days or weeks, and whether travel days sit inside the on block or the off block, because that changes how much time you really get at home. Our roster calculator lets you enter a roster and see the dates.

Rosters compared: days on, days off, time at home

This table works out how much of a year each roster leaves you at home, using only the arithmetic of the cycle. The last column shows where the roster appears in the sources we read.

FIFO rosters compared by days on, days off, share of time at home and days per year
Roster	Days on	Days off	Cycle	Time at home	On site a year	At home a year	In the sources
7/7 (even time)	7	7	14	50.0%	182.5	182.5	Used by Ensham and Vale per the 2013 inquiry.
2/2 (14/14, even time)	14	14	28	50.0%	182.5	182.5	Often worked by production staff, back to back.
8/6	8	6	14	42.9%	208.6	156.4	Named in WA inquiry Recommendation 12.
9/5	9	5	14	35.7%	234.6	130.4	Lowest turnover in AusIMM data cited in 2013.
2/1 (14/7)	14	7	21	33.3%	243.3	121.7	Named in WA inquiry Recommendation 12.
3/1 (21/7)	21	7	28	25.0%	273.8	91.3	Described by one supervisor to the WA inquiry.
4/1 (28/7)	28	7	35	20.0%	292.0	73.0	Typical for construction per the WA inquiry.

Two things stand out. Moving from 8/6 to 2/1 costs you about 35 more days on site and about 35 fewer at home a year, even though both look like “a week or so off”. And 4/1 leaves around 73 days at home, roughly a fifth of the year, against 182 for an even time roster. These are averages over complete cycles. A real swing is shorter at home than it looks, because the WA inquiry heard that travel home can “significantly encroach” on time off, especially for workers flying interstate or overseas. It called this compression creep. Our FIFO explainer has the roster patterns the federal inquiry reported.

Shift length and day and night swings

The 2013 federal inquiry said an on-site day typically consists of a twelve-hour shift, and that most mines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with rosters based on two 12-hour shifts. So 8 days on usually means eight 12-hour shifts, not eight standard working days. Check the start time, the break rules and whether travel or handover sits outside the 12 hours. We found no published source for a shift length that applies to every site, so confirm yours in the offer.

Because mines run around the clock, many crews rotate between day shift and night shift, either within a swing or from one swing to the next. RosterElf says this is where fatigue management becomes critical. The WA inquiry noted that the state’s Code of Practice on working hours lists sequential night shifts as a potential hazard factor, and BHP’s fatigue plan, as described in its 2015 submission, set a maximum of seven consecutive night shifts and 14 consecutive day shifts for FIFO workers. Those are one company’s controls from 2015, not rules for every employer, but they show the questions to ask: how many nights in a row, what gap follows a run of nights, and how the first and last days of the swing are scheduled.

Rosters and pay

A longer roster means more days worked a year, so more paid days, and RosterElf makes the same point about longer swings. The table shows the gap: 2/1 is about 243 days on site against about 209 for 8/6. That does not tell you the rate per hour, which depends on the role, employer and award or agreement, so we do not quote figures. Two sensible checks:

Ask how the offer pays travel days, rostered days off and public holidays on your roster. Get it in writing.
Compare the roster, not just the headline rate. A higher rate on a roster that leaves you 90 fewer days at home is a trade, so decide whether it is one you want. Our salary calculator and zone tax offset guide help with the money side.

Pros and cons by roster length

Pros and cons of shorter, even time and longer FIFO rosters
Type	Pros	Cons
Short swing (8/6, 9/5)	Less time away at once. 8/6 can give every second weekend at home, per the WA inquiry. 9/5 had the lowest turnover in AusIMM data cited in 2013.	More flights and more transitions between site and home. Travel eats a bigger share of a short break.
Even time (7/7, 2/2)	Equal time on and off. Employers Ensham and Vale told the 2013 inquiry they use 7/7 to prevent fatigue and give family time.	Fewer days worked a year, and the offer may not exist for your role. Ask whether it is a back-to-back arrangement.
Middle swing (2/1, 3/1)	Fewer trips than 8/6 and more days worked. 2/1 is named by the WA inquiry as supporting wellbeing.	A week at home goes fast once travel is taken out. 3/1 was described to the WA inquiry as bringing more incidents and injuries than 2/2 on one project.
Long swing (4/1 and up)	Most days worked a year, and fewer swings to travel for.	Around 73 days at home a year at 4/1. The WA inquiry said rosters more compressed than 2/1 can cause fatigue and risks to mental health.

Mental health and fatigue

The 2015 WA inquiry took the roster seriously. Its Finding 21 said the compression that best supports mental wellbeing appears to be even time or two weeks on, one week off, and that 8/6 also has considerable advantages. Recommendation 12 asked for a code of practice that encourages those rosters and said greater compression can result in fatigue and pose significant risks to mental health. It also reported a Lifeline survey in which workers with children on rotations longer than two weeks on, one week off reported the lowest relationship quality of the groups compared.

That is one inquiry in one state, now more than a decade old, and it is about averages, not about you. Our is FIFO worth it guide covers the wider picture, and the couples guide covers working away as a pair. Support for mining workers:

MATES in Mining lists a free, confidential helpline on 1300 642 111, open 24/7, for mining workers and their families.
Lifeline lists 13 11 14 for crisis support, 0477 13 11 14 for text, and 24/7 online chat.
If you or someone near you is in danger, call 000.

How to choose

Ask whether the numbers are days or weeks, and which block your travel days sit in.
Work out days at home a year for the roster, then take off travel. Use the table above or the roster calculator.
Ask about night shifts: how many in a row and what rest follows.
Ask whether the roster is fixed or can change, and how flights, swing changes and early leave are handled.
Talk it through with the people at home before you accept.
Compare other options, such as drive-in drive-out or a residential roster, on our FIFO jobs and mining towns pages.

Frequently asked questions

What does an 8 and 6 roster mean?

Eight days on site, then six days off, in a 14-day cycle. You are on site for about 57 per cent of the year, roughly 209 days, and at home for about 156. The 2015 WA parliamentary inquiry named 8 days on and 6 days off as a roster that supports mental health and family life, partly because it can give every second weekend at home.

What does a 2 and 1 roster mean, and is it the same as 14 and 7?

Yes. 2 and 1 means two weeks on, one week off, which is 14 days on and 7 days off. It works out to about 243 days on site and 122 at home across a year. The WA inquiry also named two weeks on, one week off as a roster that supports mental wellbeing.

What does a 4 and 1 roster mean?

Four weeks on, one week off, which is 28 days on and 7 days off. That is about 292 days on site and 73 at home in a year. The WA inquiry reported evidence that construction workers typically work four weeks on, one week off, and said rosters more compressed than two weeks on, one week off can cause fatigue and risks to mental health. Check the ad, because some people also read 4 and 1 as days.

What is an even time roster?

A roster where time on site equals time at home, such as 7 days on and 7 off, or 2 weeks on and 2 off. That is 50 per cent on site, about 182 days a year, and 50 per cent home. The WA inquiry found production workers often work two weeks on, two weeks off, often back to back with another worker, and said even-time rosters should be encouraged.

Are FIFO shifts really 12 hours?

Usually, according to the sources we read. A 2013 House of Representatives inquiry said an on-site day typically consists of a twelve-hour shift, and that most mines operate 24 hours a day on rosters of two 12-hour shifts. Not every site or role is the same, so confirm the shift length, start time and any overtime or night work in your offer.

Do I get paid more on a longer roster?

You work more days a year, so there are more paid days, but we do not quote pay figures here because they depend on the role, employer and agreement. Check how the offer treats your roster, and use the salary calculator to compare. Do not assume a longer swing means a higher rate per hour.

What is the best FIFO roster?

There is no single best roster. The WA inquiry's Finding 21 said the roster compression that best supports mental wellbeing appears to be even time, or two weeks on, one week off, and that eight days on, six days off also has considerable advantages. The best one for you depends on your family, your health, travel time home and what the job pays.

Is MiningReady affiliated with any of the organisations linked here?

No. MiningReady is independent. We link to the WA Parliament, the Australian Parliament, MATES in Mining and Lifeline because their pages are the sources for the facts above, which we read on 13 October 2026. RosterElf is a rostering software company, and we use its page only for how roster notation is written.

Sources

Last updated 13 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.

Days at home are our own arithmetic: days off divided by the cycle length, over a 365-day year. They ignore travel days, public holidays, shutdowns and changeovers, so real time at home is lower. The roster findings come from a 2015 Western Australian inquiry and a 2013 federal inquiry. Both are dated, so check what your employer offers now. This page is general information, not medical or financial advice. We do not quote pay figures.

FIFO Rosters Explained: 8/6, 2/1, 14/7, 4/1 and Even Time