§ 28-14-18 Protection. – An employer shall not discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location or privileges of employment because:
(1) The employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, reports or is about to report to the department verbally or in writing, a violation which the employee knows or reasonably believes has occurred or is about to occur of a law or regulation or rule promulgated by the department unless the employee knows or has reason to know that the report is false; or
(2) An employee is requested by the department to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry held by the department or a court action.