I'm a salaried employee with vacation. The company I work for has a shutdown period where it is "encouraged" to use a certain amount of your vacation during this time based on the number of days of vacation you have. If you choose not to take vacation during this time period a big fuss is raised and you have give reasons why you will not take vacation even if you have work to do. Is it legal for a company to force salaried employees to use their vacation or take a leave of absence? I realize they probably have a right to deny me from taking it but can they force me to take it?

Thanks

It is completely legal. I understand why you find it frustrating but the fact remains that your employer is not required by law to offer you any vacation at all; they get to make the rules about how and when it is used. Nothing in the law grants you the unlimited right to decide when you want to use vacation time. If they want you to use your vacation during, say, the second week of August, then you use your vacation during the second week of August and that's the end of that story.