Congratulations, American workers. The United States continues to lead the world in labor productivity. We’re 35 percent ahead of the Germans and 25 percent better than the Japanese.

Of course, none of this should be surprising. After all, the average American works nearly 2,000 hours a year, out-toiling counterparts in Europe by 350 hours.

Americans barely take two weeks of vacation every year, while Europeans five to six. Americans are so busy that six in 10 of them skip lunch altogether when pressed, according to a recent survey,

All of these statistics and more were discussed and analyzed at the Take Back Your Time North America conference recently at Seattle University. Speakers and activists outlined ways to slow down at work and at home so that we can achieve a more balanced lifestyle.

Many of the pressures to work harder and longer stem from outdated management practices that are counterproductive.

But employers and employees can increase productivity and reduce working hours by agreeing on some efficiency standards, time management and productivity consultant Laura Stack said at an earlier conference.

“Once a 60-, 70-, even 80-hour workweek becomes normal, managers will quickly notice a sharp increase in the number of employees leaving in search of a better life,” said Stack.

But many employers and managers cling to such productivity-robbing norms of “butts in the seats,” face time, resisting telecommuting and insisting on working late to prove your dedication.

“It’s all about, ‘If I can’t see you, you must not be working,’ ” she said, and it’s bogus. Called in to help solve a serious turnover and morale problem, Stack found the expected daily work hours at a Denver telecommunications company to be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“I got there at seven, and you know what I saw? People would come in, wave at the boss to say, ‘Hey, I’m here,’ and then not really begin working until about 8.”

Stack suggests that reform be achieved through working codes of conduct for various communication such as meetings, phone use, e-mail, voice mail and Internet use, defining their best uses.

Coors Beer, for instance, established a protocol requiring face-to-face conversations for all formal communications, such as performance reviews, planning projects and resolvng conflicts.

Here are other ways to get back valuable personal time:

Meetings: Require agendas that list items by priority and summarize the meeting purpose. Appoint a timekeeper-facilitator to keep discussions on point. Limit meetings to 50 minutes to allow those with back-to-back meetings to be on time. Ensure attendance among only those who need to be there.

E-mails: Keep messages brief and on point. Summarize the message in the first sentence or paragraph and use bullets to outline supporting narrative. Send group mail only when everyone is affected by the contents.

Voice mail: Use many of the protocols as for e-mails. In addition, keep messages bulleted and no more than a minute long. Limit forwards to two. State your return telephone number twice at the beginning. Summarize the reason for the voice mail (“I want to talk to you today about the Conklin project”). Avoid telephone tag by providing a specific time to return the call. Check voice mail at least twice daily and provide time to return calls.

Interruptions: One of the greatest productivity robbers is being interrupted. Work with colleagues to establish, “I wish not to be interrupted signs.” One executive wore a red baseball cap to signal “do not disturb.” Another spread yellow caution tape through her cubicle. Schedule regular check-in times with subordinates or co-workers. When all else fails, go into hiding (a bathroom stall or unused conference room are known favorites).

Perhaps we can have our work and personal time balanced after all.

Write Eric Zoeckler at The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206, or e-mail mrscribe@aol.com.