新西兰英语 404 Pay for night work

　　Workers in homes for intellectually² disabled adults are paid just $34 a night for sleeping in the IHC home. IHC used to mean “intellectually handicapped³ children” but now it is “people with intellectual¹ disabilities”, adults and children. If adults cannot look after themselves, they live in small homes with about five people and someone to care for them.
A typical care worker who stays overnight⁴, starts work at 4pm and finishes at 9am the next day. The pay from 4pm to 10pm and from 7am to 9am is about $17 an hour. At night time, from 10pm to 7am, they sleep in the home and earn $34 for the night. However, if they have to get up to help someone during the night, they get the regular hourly rate, about $17 an hour.
Workers thought they should be paid the regular hourly rate for staying at the IHC home overnight. They said it is a responsible⁵ job staying overnight in the home because many of these people have health problems. They also said that sleeping at the home is not the same as sleeping in their own home. Also, if they have to get up in the night it is not easy to get back to sleep. They took this case to the Court of Appeal and the court agreed with them. The Court of Appeal said they should be paid the minimum⁶ wage for working at night. At the moment, the minimum wage is $13 an hour. These workers should also get back pay for the last five years.
The government says there is not enough money. There are 800 IHC homes. It would cost another $50m to pay workers the minimum wage for staying overnight and another $350m for back pay.
Questions
The CEO of IHC says these workers get more than the minimum wage so the average pay per week including overnight stays, is still very good. What do you think?
IHC likes to put people with intellectual disabilities into small homes of about five people instead of big homes or hostel⁷ of 100 or more. They are part of the community and not hidden away. What do you think?

1 intellectual   

n.知识分子；adj.智力的，理智的，有理解力的

参考例句：

• Thinking is an intellectual process.思维是一个智力活动过程。
• Chess is a highly intellectual game.象棋是需用高度智力的运动项目。

2 intellectually   

adv.知性上，智力上

参考例句：

• The child is developing in every way, morally, intellectually and physically. 这孩子德、智、体样样都好。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He had never learned that a person might be emotionally--instead of intellectually--great. 他从来就不知道一个人可能会在感情上很伟大，而不是在知识上。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 handicapped   

a.残疾的，有智力缺陷的

参考例句：

• a visually handicapped child 弱视儿童
• mentally and physically handicapped 身心俱残

4 overnight   

ad.前一天晚上，一夜间 a.前一天晚上的

参考例句：

• She stayed overnight in the hotel. 她在旅馆过了一夜。
• Our success is not won overnight. 我们的成功不是一夜之间得来的。

5 responsible   

adj.有责任的，应负责的；可靠的，可信赖的；责任重大的；vi.休息，睡；静止，停止

参考例句：

• He must be responsible to me for this matter.这件事他必须对我负责。
• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。

6 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

7 hostel   

n.（学生）宿舍，招待所

参考例句：

• I lived in a hostel while I was a student.我求学期间住在青年招待所里。
• He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.他说他现住在一家青年招待所。