Does Your Office Make You Sick, Literally

By Marty Nemko

I used to think my clients were nuts when they would say they were allergic to their offices, but I've changed my mind. A recent Time article suggests that office buildings can indeed make you sick: mold, air-conditioning with inadequate filters, cockroach droppings, vapors from new vinyl flooring, insulation, furniture (may contain chloroform), tobacco smoke, cleaning agents, chemicals from fax machines and laser printers. Moral: if you think it's your building and not your boss who's giving you that headache, ask higher-ups to consult an industrial hygienist.