The History of Stress Management Part 3: The Corporate Wake-Up Call
The History of Stress Management
Part 3: The Corporate Wake-Up Call
By James Porter
In Part 2 of this series we explored how Hans Selye gave stress scientific legitimacy. So by the mid-20th century, the science of stress was well established. But it took a major shift in perspective for stress management to move from the realm of academics and doctors into the workplace. That shift came when corporations realized that stress wasn't just a health problem—it was a financial one.
IBM and the Birth of EAPs
The origins of formal workplace stress management programs can be traced back to IBM in the 1950s. At the time, IBM was losing valuable talent—especially high-level executives—to conditions like heart disease and alcoholism. These were not just human tragedies; they were costly ones. Replacing an experienced executive could cost the company upwards of $500,000—a staggering figure at the time.
IBM realized that it was cheaper—and smarter—to help employees stay well than to constantly replace them after a health crisis. This pragmatic insight led to one of the earliest versions of what would become known as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Initially focused on alcohol treatment, these programs soon expanded to address stress, mental health, and other behavioral health issues that affected performance, productivity, and retention.
In time, other companies followed suit. What began as a cost-saving initiative evolved into a broader wellness movement. EAPs began offering counseling, crisis intervention, and preventive services, creating a support system for employees facing everything from burnout to depression to family challenges. It wasn’t altruism—it was enlightened self-interest. But it worked.
Stress: A New Health Epidemic
By the 1970s and ‘80s, stress had earned its place on the radar of both public health officials and corporate leadership. Mounting evidence linked chronic stress to heart disease, high blood pressure, immune dysfunction, and other serious conditions. The American workforce was now working longer hours, under greater pressure, with less job security—and stress was taking a measurable toll.
The message was clear: stress wasn’t just a personal problem. It was a workplace hazard.
Women Enter the Workforce—and a New Health Trend Emerges
Interestingly, up until the mid-20th century, heart disease was considered largely a male condition. Women, especially those not in the workforce, experienced far lower rates of cardiovascular illness. But as women began entering the workplace in greater numbers in the 1960s and ’70s—often balancing professional roles with traditional family responsibilities—those numbers began to shift.
It became clear that stress wasn't gendered. The increased pressure of modern work, especially for women juggling multiple roles, contributed to rising heart disease rates among women—a trend that continues to this day.
This shift helped further solidify the connection between stress and chronic illness. It also challenged long-held assumptions about who was at risk and why. Stress management was no longer seen as something reserved for combat veterans or corporate executives. It became a universal issue—one that affected everyone, at every level.
By the 1990s and early 2000
The Wellness Movement and the Path Forward
00s, stress management had become a staple of corporate wellness programs. Yoga, meditation, time management workshops, and stress reduction seminars began appearing in offices nationwide. Companies realized that reducing workplace stress wasn’t just good for employees—it was good for business.
At the same time, the stigma around mental health in the workplace began to soften. Leaders started to talk openly about burnout. Mental health days entered the conversation. Suicide prevention, especially among veterans and high-risk populations, became a national priority. And stress management finally took its place not as a luxury—but as a necessity.
Erica Tuminski
Author