5. At least one study indicates that every step up the occupational ladder has positive health consequences.

An intriguing line of research was pioneered by Michael Marmot in England and published in a series of articles called the "Whitehall Studies." Examining mortality rates due to coronary heart disease for government workers in Britain’s civil service, the research found that employees experience increased longevity at every step increase in this finely graded employment hierarchy.²⁹ This current research, similar to that of Karasek and Theorell, hypothesizes that the increased control over one’s work that comes with each rung of the occupational ladder best explains the health advantages of higher occupational standing.