TY - GEN
T1 - DRIVE-IN DRIVE-OUT WORK AND TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION
T2 - 41st Annual Conference on Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2025
AU - Moloney, David
AU - Curran, Michael R.
AU - Spillane, John P.
AU - Bradley, James G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2025 - Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - The surge in construction projects in urban Irish cities has led contractors to recruit subcontractors and labourers from rural parts of Ireland to undertake the work. As a result, a growing number of workers live in temporary accommodation during the working week before returning home at the weekend, known as Drive-In Drive-Out (DIDO) employment. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of this arrangement on the wellbeing of Irish construction workers. A mixed methods research approach was employed, combining qualitative semi-structured interviews with a quantitative questionnaire survey. Findings identify several factors that negatively influence mental and physical wellbeing, including long working hours, disrupted sleep, isolation, and limited access to facilities beyond alcohol-based social settings. These conditions contribute to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Recommendations to mitigate these effects include providing accommodation with cooking facilities, access to gyms and community amenities, and development of shared social spaces not centred on alcohol. Overall, this research highlights that while challenges persist, opportunities for employers and policymakers exist to adopt targeted interventions that improve wellbeing for DIDO workers in Ireland's construction sector.
AB - The surge in construction projects in urban Irish cities has led contractors to recruit subcontractors and labourers from rural parts of Ireland to undertake the work. As a result, a growing number of workers live in temporary accommodation during the working week before returning home at the weekend, known as Drive-In Drive-Out (DIDO) employment. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of this arrangement on the wellbeing of Irish construction workers. A mixed methods research approach was employed, combining qualitative semi-structured interviews with a quantitative questionnaire survey. Findings identify several factors that negatively influence mental and physical wellbeing, including long working hours, disrupted sleep, isolation, and limited access to facilities beyond alcohol-based social settings. These conditions contribute to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Recommendations to mitigate these effects include providing accommodation with cooking facilities, access to gyms and community amenities, and development of shared social spaces not centred on alcohol. Overall, this research highlights that while challenges persist, opportunities for employers and policymakers exist to adopt targeted interventions that improve wellbeing for DIDO workers in Ireland's construction sector.
KW - Drive-In Drive-Out
KW - employee wellbeing
KW - Ireland
KW - temporary accommodation
KW - work-life balance
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105021992789
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105021992789
T3 - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2025 - Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference
SP - 359
EP - 368
BT - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2025 - Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference
A2 - Thomson, Craig
A2 - Neilson, Christopher J
PB - Association of Researchers in Construction Management
Y2 - 1 September 2025 through 3 September 2025
ER -