Witness Testimony

Zoran Boskovic, a senior manager with over two decades of service in the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, testified about his termination following the introduction of a provincial public service COVID-19 vaccine mandate. After recovering from COVID-19 in August 2021, he sought recognition of natural immunity and applied for a medical exemption, which was denied. He was directed to work from home while awaiting a decision, then placed on leave without pay in January 2022, and ultimately terminated in June 2022, the same day federal vaccine mandates were lifted.
Boskovic described unsuccessful efforts to obtain recognition of post-infection immunity, as well as attempts to secure Employment Insurance benefits after being placed on unpaid leave. His application for EI was denied on grounds that his leave constituted suspension for misconduct and that he had not demonstrated availability for work, while his wife, who faced similar employment consequences, was approved. He appealed through multiple levels of the Social Security Tribunal and later filed a judicial review application as a self-represented litigant.
He also detailed personal hardships, including being unable to travel with his wife to visit her ailing father due to travel restrictions, after which her father passed away. Following termination, he opted for early retirement due to age and years of service, resulting in a permanent reduction of approximately $900 per month in pension income. Boskovic characterized the process as lacking transparency and procedural fairness, and stated that he and other affected employees formed a society to pursue legal action challenging the mandate.