I used to work at a business office downtown. It was a long commute to work everyday, and I grew tired of driving 45 minutes to and from work. Eventually, I started to send out my resume to a few different companies. When I was hired by a company close to home, I was ecstatic. I had to take a small pay decrease, but the company is only a few miles away from home. I still save a ton of money on gas and car maintenance bills. I’ve been working at the company for a few weeks now, and my allergies are worse than ever. The indoor air quality is very poor, because the HVAC system is at least 50 years old. They still have an old boiler in the basement of the building, and they use radiators to distribute heat and A/C throughout the building. The ductwork is falling apart, and the indoor air is dirty and filled with dust fragments. In the past, my allergies have only been this bad with cats, dogs, or ragweed. I don’t think any of these allergens exist in this office building, but the indoor air quality is causing me terrible allergy symptoms. I have been sneezing, coughing, and my eyes are constantly red and itchy. I don’t know if anything can be done about the indoor air quality, but I am already suffering. By the time spring allergens are in the air, I’m going to have a hard time breathing all day. I wonder if the company would allow me to bring a small air purifier to the office.