It is highly likely that any Australian doctor being asked by an employer to divulge the nature of an employee's illness would tell that employer, one way or another, to "sod off".
The only exception to this is a Workcover claim. Then the employer has full rights to know the nature of the illness.
In the medical profession, releasing this information to an employer without the permission of the patient is viewed extremely seriously - in fact it is viewed as professional misconduct and can bring very serious repercussions to the doctor.
So it would be very unwise of Qantas to push the issue too far, or they might have a lot of egg land on their face.
What do I know? Not much. But my wife who is a doctor and former DAME does.
Last edited by DutchRoll; 12th Dec 2012 at 10:14.