Maybe people who put in a ton of work get ahead. That's a big maybe. Sometimes people get ahead because they had the good fortune to be tapped for the big project. Sometimes they were in the right meeting and got tapped by the boss because they were in the room. Sometimes people get ahead because they're better at talking than doing.

But maybe you work hard, do more. What's the financial return on that, for a typical employee over your hypothetical "coasting employee"? 50%? 20%? Less?

Is it worth it? The stress, the extra hours, the opportunity costs?