Is it legal for an employer to make a salaried employee take vacation days if they wish to get paid for a week? The company has decided to shut down for a holiday. The company says it will pay for the one government "holiday" day, but the rest no one, including salaries employees, will receive pay unless they use their vacation time. I thought that was one of the trade-offs of being salaried to make up for the many hours of "overtime" you work and don't get paid for. Please help!

Do you have a contract or belong to a union with a contract?

Additionally, where are you located? If you are in the US, and without a contract or employment agreement specifying otherwise, you do not have to be paid for a week in which you do not perform work. As your question is written, they are not requiring you to take the vacation days, they are just not going to pay you in lieu of you using them. This is a good link.

Thank you both. Correct, they are not requiring you to take them unless you wish paid. I am located in Texas and do not have a contract nor belong to a union. There are no unions in my industry, at least not here. I will read over the link and appreciate your help.

A little more info involving the "contract" question. There are contracted workers as well as directly hired workers. Anyone salary is a direct hire employee. The contract workers agreements are different depending upon the contract house.