[Trouthunter]

I don't know about industry standards in golf, but I can clear up the confusion on the 1/2 time pay. OP is paid on what is known as a "fluctuating workweek". He is not overtime exempt in whatever state he is in, and it is pretty standard for base overtime to be set at time and a half in all states, with exceptions for certain types of jobs. With the fluctuating workweek, the worker is paid to work as many hours as are necessary to get the job done, regardless of how many hours the worker works. The worker is paid a base salary for this service, not an hourly rate. Since the worker has been paid for all hours, regardless of whether those hours exceed 40 in a given week, then the worker has already been paid straight time for all hours in excess of 40, and the employer has to pay the difference, which is an additional .5 of the calculated hourly rate. Hourly rate is calculated by dividing the weekly rate by the number of hours worked, so it varies from week to week, depending on the number of hours worked. The more hours, the lower the hourly rate, and the lower the extra .5 for overtime. It's not terribly employee-friendly.

Employers almost ALWAYS mess up the calculation, or they try it on someone who is paid hourly, or they end up with an amount of hourly pay that is less than minimum wage, or whatever. It rarely goes according to plan, so I advise my clients to avoid the fluctuating workweek, unless it's industry standard, as is apparently the case with OP.

FWIW, I'm on OP's side on this one. He is doing what he gets paid to do - maintain proficiency in the field. I attend CLE's and other classes to keep up my proficiency and my license to practice and my employer pays me for that time. Just because it's not as enjoyable as golf doesn't mean it's any different.