The component is not available at this moment. Please contact the site administrator.
If a layoff is genuine, and an entire work unit is being laid off, an employee on workers' compensation leave (or with an active claim, but still working) has no more protection than any other employee.
An employer may not, however, use a layoff to target protected workers. Employers are wise to be sensitive to these issues due to potential "132a" claims. Labor Code Section 132a holds that "there should not be discrimination against workers who are injured in the course and scope of their employment." Terminating an employee because of a work-related injury is a type of such discrimination.
Again, if the layoff is genuine and the employee would have been laid off regardless of the leave of absence, the employer is permitted to lay off an otherwise protected employee.
You can find more information in the Employee Protection from Discrimination page of the HR Library.