The Medical Council has hit back at criticism that doctors shouldn't diagnose people with workplace stress.
Photo: AFP
The Employers and Manufacturers Association has said medical certificates should not be given to workers complaining of stress, which it said was a symptom, rather than an illness.
Its comments came after a Tauranga office worker, who was diagnosed with workplace stress, was this week awarded $10,000 in compensation by the Employment Relations Authority.
Medical Council chairman Dr Andrew Connolly said if a doctor diagnosed someone with workplace stress, that person could be too unwell for work.
"It's quite a legitimate reason to see the doctor and it's also quite a legitimate thing for the doctor to consider in terms of what needs to be done to aid that person back to better health," he said.
"Sometimes that may involve a period off work - it depends on the circumstances."
Listen to Dr Andrew Connolly on Five O'Clock Report