# Shift work, travel and FIFO

> When your work hours or travel don't line up, you tend to get less time together, so plan around it. Where you can, get some say over schedules, keep talking in ways that go beyond logistics, and make sure the partner at home has support too.

Not reviewed yet: test content.

- **Mismatched schedules mean less time together,** so it pays to plan around them on purpose.
- **Having some say over shifts helps,** and so does having hours you can predict.
- **Talking while apart matters,** and what you talk about may count for more than how long.
- **Constant contact has its own costs,** so agree when work or home can wait.
- **The partner at home needs support too,** especially with young children or in the first rotations.

## How do couples cope with different work schedules?

Mostly by planning around the mismatch, and by getting some say over the schedule where they can. Couples where at least one partner works shifts tend to have less potential time off together, and feel the shortage of time more [1]. Night work in particular is linked with more worry about the marriage, and more stress spilling between work and family, than a standard day shift; weekend work wasn't [2]. These are links, not proof of cause, and how much a schedule matters depends on the schedule itself, the workplace and the people involved [3].

Two things seem to protect couples. One is control: having adequate say over your schedule may buffer the harms of irregular hours, and partner support matters for marriage quality [3]. The other is predictability. A one- or two-hour shift in start times may not disrupt much, but not knowing from week to week what hours someone will work makes leisure plans and childcare harder to arrange [1].

Some things to try:

- **Put both sets of shifts in one shared calendar,** then plan meals, evenings and days off around them. Think of it as Tetris, with dinner as the long piece.
- **Ask for some say in shift patterns or swaps,** and favour steady hours over big weekly changes.
- **Agree how you'll protect sleep,** such as quiet hours. For shift workers with children, a partner or relatives taking on more childcare was crucial for sleep, and supportive family helped people get enough [4].
- **Explain shift work to family and friends,** because people who put sleep first sometimes struggle to explain why they need to sleep in the day [4].

If sleepiness is making driving or daily tasks risky, or sleep problems last more than a few months, raise it with a doctor or the workplace [4].

## How do you stay close when one of you travels for work?

Keep talking, and make the talking about more than logistics. Among fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, relationship satisfaction was lower on on-shift days, though not for their partners, and spending less time communicating with their partner fully explained that dip [5]. The link may run both ways: when people feel less satisfied, they may talk less [5]. What you say may also matter more than how long you say it [5].

So try to talk about how each of you is doing, not only who's collecting the parcel. Agree which ways of keeping in touch suit you both. Phone calls were the most valued method among FIFO partners, and many found communicating while away difficult, so patchy coverage or internet is worth planning around [8].

More contact isn't always better. Being constantly reachable can leave the traveller with no break from family demands, and interruptions cut both ways: family disturbing work time, or work calls landing in the middle of mealtimes and bedtimes at home [6]. Agree in advance when work or home can wait.

The partner at home may feel lonelier and sleep less well on the days the worker is away, and may benefit from support, particularly with younger children or when a rotation is new [7]. Family, friends and local networks can all help. Most of the closest research is on FIFO couples, so if your travel looks different, treat it as a starting point.

> **Try this together:** Spend 10 minutes putting both people's shifts, trips or roster dates into the shared calendar in Couple Tools, then pick one regular time to talk while you're apart and one time together this week that you'll both protect.

## What helps couples in fly-in fly-out or rotating rosters?

Good communication while apart, some say over the roster, and support for the partner at home. The first is covered above: set times to talk, and talk about how you each are [5].

On the roster, control seems to matter [3], yet 87% of FIFO partners felt the worker had no choice in roster arrangements, and 39% said the company didn't offer a family friendly roster [8]. If your roster can be negotiated, raise it. Partners' ideal patterns varied, with 7 days on and 7 days off the most common (26%), then 14 on and 14 off (18%) [8]. So work out what suits the two of you.

On support, 57% of FIFO partners said they received too little for the challenges of a FIFO family. The help they said they'd use most was FIFO family support networks (41%) and modified childcare (33%) [8]. Support matters most with young children or in the first rotations [7]. Think about family, friends, local networks and flexible childcare before you need them.

Also agree beforehand how housework and childcare will be shared at each stage of the rotation, so neither of you carries the load by default. For workers with children, a partner or relatives taking on more childcare was crucial for protecting the worker's sleep [4].

Finally, don't assume you'll cope just because others seem to. Mainly workers without major difficulties tend to stay in remote and FIFO work, so family experiences may look rosier than they are [3].

## Common questions

### How do we protect each other's sleep at home?

Agree it before you need it. Set quiet hours, decide who covers the children or the doorbell while one of you sleeps, and tell visitors why. A partner or relatives taking on more childcare makes a big difference for shift workers with children. Review the plan after a few weeks and tweak it.

### Should we ask the employer for a different roster or more say over shifts?

It's worth asking, especially for predictable hours or some say over swaps. Having control over a schedule may protect against the strain of irregular hours. Work out first what pattern suits the two of you, because partners' ideal rosters vary a lot, then ask for something specific.

### What can the partner at home do about loneliness during rotations?

Lean on other people as well as your partner. Family, friends and local support networks for FIFO families can all help, particularly with young children or early in a rotation. Keep your regular calls too, and tell your partner honestly how you're doing, not only what needs fixing at home.

### How do we manage family events and social life around shifts?

Put events and both sets of shifts in one shared calendar early, so clashes show up before the invitation does. Tell family and friends how your schedule works, and be ready to say yes to what fits and no to what doesn't. A smaller get-together at a time that suits you both still counts.


## Sources

1. Couples working shift. www150.statcan.gc.ca https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-001-x/1998003/article/3943-eng.pdf
2. Nonstandard Work Schedules, Perceived Family Well-Being, and Daily Stressors. Davis and others · Journal of Marriage and the Family · 2008 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00541.x
3. Working Time Society consensus statements: Evidence-based effects of shift work and non-standard working hours on workers, family and community. Arlinghaus and others · Industrial Health · 2019 https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.sw-4
4. Shift workers' experiences and views of sleep disturbance, fatigue and healthy behaviors: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. Benton and others · Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health · 2025 https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4223
5. Communication and relationship satisfaction of Fly-in, Fly-out workers and partners. Forshaw and others · PloS One · 2025 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322337
6. Business Travellers' Connections to Home: ICTs Supporting Work-life Balance. eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk · 2016 https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24813/3/Ladkin.pdf
7. Rotation work in the resources sector: a systematic review of the impact on workers' families. Asare and others · Psychology & Health · 2025 https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2023.2190348
8. FIFO Partner and Family Survey. Queensland Government https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/com/IPNRC-C217/FQ-6DD4/02-aqon4-25June2015.pdf

Source: https://coupletools.com/learn/shift-work-travel-and-fifo