My question involves employment and labor law for the state of: CA
I work for a small company as a process engineer, and have worked here for about 18 months. I am salaried exempt. When I took employment with my current employer we agreed upon my salary rate and it was to be paid over 52 paychecks (they pay everyone weekly here). I was fine with that. My employer shuts down the plant for 2-3 weeks a year for vacation during the major holidays. I am not allowed to come in and work during those times and they are not paying me for those weeks. Is my employer required to pay me for that time, or are they only required to pay me for the holiday days? I am not being paid my full salary that I thought I was going to receive.
Everyone I have talked to about it outside of work including other engineers at other companies think they should have to pay me, but none of them are attorneys so they don't know any more than I. Any time the other salaried exempt employee or I have tried to talk to the owners about it they just get mad and tell us they don't have to. They don't really explain anything other than that if we don't work at all we aren't entitled to pay.
Also, if they are required to pay me for that time, would they have to pay me for the weeks they didn't pay me over the past year, and do they have to add interest?
Thank you in advance for your time.

