Yesterday Kimberly-Clark Professional announced a new awards program aimed to recognize and reward companies that have made a comprehensive corporate commitment to surface hygiene in the workplace as well as to the education of its employees in the importance of office hygiene. The announcement was made at the 2011 Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International Conference in Washington, D.C.

The Healthy Workplace Project Award is an additional initiative within Kimberly-Clark’s The Healthy Workplace Project, and will be awarded to companies that have demonstrated a significant effort toward fighting germs in the workplace.

«We are delighted to introduce a new awards program for companies developing and implementing programs that make our offices a healthier place to be. By advocating for and providing education on healthy workplace hygiene habits, businesses can significantly reduce the frequency with which germs are spread throughout the office, creating a positive impact on employee productivity and absenteeism-related expenses,» said Richard Thorne, Vice President of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. «Importantly, a healthier workplace also promotes employee morale, and inspires a higher level of engagement between the company and its employee.»

Any office environment is eligible to participate in this annual program. The program is self-nominating and applicants will be asked to complete a questionnaire and describe the hand and surface hygiene initiatives their company has implemented, as well as any educational programs that have been introduced to reinforce these initiatives. The application also requires a description of how the success of these initiatives is measured. Applications for the awards will be accepted through April 30, 2012.

The grand prize winner will receive $15,000 worth of hand and surface hygiene products from Kimberly-Clark Professional. The second place winner will also receive an office-based health and wellness award and will receive$10,000 of products and the third place winner will receive $5,000 of products.

Kimberly-Clark and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also announced the expansion of Kimberly-Clark’s membership in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and conserve the world’s most valuable and threatened forests.

In June the company unveiled its Sustainability 2015 Goals.