State and Federal laws prevent employers from taking retaliatory actions against employees who report, refuse to participate in, or participate in an investigation involving the unlawful or potentially unlawful actions of the employer. Such retaliatory action can include things such as being demoted or fired, to any other form of adverse employment action. When this happens, the employee may have a cause of action for retaliation in order recover any lost wages or benefits and to potentially be reinstated in the position the employee was terminated from.