Final answer:
The term for the actions taken to regulate hours, wages, vacations, benefits, and working conditions is 'labor regulations' or 'employment regulations'. These laws help protect workers and are the result of government legislation and labor union advocacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The actions taken to regulate hours, wages, vacations, benefits, and working conditions are generally referred to as labor regulations or employment regulations. These regulations are crucial for protecting workers and ensuring that they are treated fairly by their employers. In the United States, the government has established a number of laws aimed at creating a balance of power between workers and employers. Some of these laws set regulations such as minimum hourly wages, maximum hours of work before overtime compensation is required, prohibition of child labor, and imposing health and safety conditions in the workplace.
Additionally, these regulations aim to prevent discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age, and often require employers to provide family leave, notice before layoffs, and unemployment insurance. Furthermore, limits are placed on the number of immigrant workers allowed to enter the labor force.
The development and enactment of these regulations have been influenced by years of labor protests and the formation of labor unions, which actively work to negotiate better conditions for workers through tactics like collective bargaining and strikes. It is important to note that many legislative acts, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, laid the groundwork for current labor market regulations, which have been expanded and refined through additional laws, regulations, and court rulings over time.