Typical Australian work-related convo (ah, that's Aussie for "conversation")
👷 Bazza: Where's Davo? I haven't seen him in weeks!
👷🏻 Davo: Didn't you know? He's now doing FIFO.
👷 Bazza: You sure? I heard he was DIDO.
👷🏻 Davo: Yeah, nah, maybe he's BIBO.
Any idea what this is all about?
Before I explain things, picture this...
🛫 Go to an Australian airport at 5 to 6 in the morning and you'll see crowds of people wearing "hi vis" i.e. "high-visibility clothing" – work safety gear designed to ensure that workers are easily visible to others while working on-site or in the field. Guaranteed, these people are FIFOs.
So what do FIFO (ˈfaɪfəʊ/fie-foe), DIDO ((ˈdaɪdəʊ/die-doe) and BIBO (ˈbaɪbəʊ/bye-boe) mean?
✈️ FIFO = fly-in/fly-out
🚗 DIDO = drive-in/drive-out
🚌 BIBO = bus-in/bus-out
FIFO/DIDO/BIBO is a work arrangement where employees travel to a remote worksite for a period of time to complete tasks, then return to their hometown for a period of rest and personal time. It's particularly associated with mining, one of Australia's most prominent and lucrative industries and biggest employers.
Rather than move large numbers of people to live in the harsh and isolated environments characteristic of most of Australia, this arrangement allows for workers and their families to remain based where most Aussies live – the sprawling suburbs of Australia's largest cities.
Given the huge distances involved, FIFO is by far the most common arrangement in Australia.
Though most FIFO/DIDO/BIBO workers are miners, as mine sites also require auxiliary staff to keep them running, you can find people in most professions involved – admin staff, caterers, cleaners, medical staff... you name it!
🦺 The key aspects of this type of work include:
🔄 Rotational schedule: workers operate on a rotating roster, such as two weeks on/one week off, often on 12-hour shifts every day on-site.
🏜️ Remote work: these jobs are often located in remote areas difficult to access by daily commuting, e.g. mines, oil rigs and infrastructure sites.
🛏️ Accommodation: employers typically provide temporary on-site accommodation ("dongas") in camps that usually include a cafeteria/mess and sometimes recreation amenities such as gyms and pools.
👍 Benefits: these roles are often very well paid, avoid permanent relocation and have the potential to provide significant time-off for personal pursuits.
👎 Disadvantages: the work is often physically demanding, the extended periods of time away from family and friends do put stress on relationships, and the physical isolation has been proven to be a major cause for mental health issues.
Knowing acronyms like this and using them appropriately in your marketing and copy will win over many in the lucrative Australian market. Have your text in tune with Aussies. This is something I can help you with. For more info, email me at info@nicknasev.com and let's get them Aussie customers flying in to you!
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