Employers do not have an obligation to return employees to light duty assignments under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) before the employee can perform essential job functions, the 7th Circuit ruled in James v. Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Carris James worked as a banquet steward at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency hotel until March 2007 when he was punched in the eye outside of work and he suffered a retinal detachment requiring surgery.