Lower the boom on a bully boss

A comfortable workplace culture is key. Ask HR,

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., a human resources expert, tackles your questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society. The questions are submitted by readers, and Taylor's answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Question: What is the difference between a hostile work environment and just working for a bully? – Anonymous

Johnny C. Taylor Jr.: There can be a fine line between bullying and a hostile work environment, so I will do my best to explain. Both are serious and should be reported.

Bullying describes behavior that intimidates, humiliates or degrades a person such as constant and unfair criticism, teasing, yelling, insulting, malicious gossiping and aggressive behavior.

Even though bullying is inappropriate and unacceptable, there is no federal law prohibiting it. But there is good news: Some states introduced workplace anti-bullying bills, and this trend is likely to continue.

Many employers proactively are developing a zero-tolerance culture around bullying, encouraging employees to report such behavior and training supervisors to confront people who behave in this way.

“Hostile work environment” is a legal term defining actions, communication or behaviors based on legally protected characteristics that make work intimidating, difficult or uncomfortable for someone. These actions must be pervasive, continue over time and be severe or serious enough to disrupt work.

A boss who speaks loudly or is abrasive or rude might be inappropriate or a bully, but his or her behavior does not create a hostile work environment.

A boss who verbally berates you about your age, religion, gender, race, disability or other personal characteris- tic protected by law has created a hostile work environment.

Though different legally, both bullying and hostile work environments are toxic, affecting worker morale, productivity and retention. Sixty-five percent of people who feel bullied leave their jobs.

If you’re experiencing or have witnessed such behavior, talk with your HR department. Even if the actions don’t violate the law, HR wants to know. Addressing them can protect a healthy workplace culture and stop issues from escalating.

Q: I have 38 years of experience, which means I am an older job applicant. I rarely get a call back from a company when I include all my experience on a resume. Is it considered less-than-correct information to leave some experiences off my resume? One application completed required I sign a statement indicating the information I submitted was correct. – Anonymous

Taylor: Experienced job candidates should include their most recent and relevant work experience on their resumes.

About 15 years of work experience, give or take, is sufficient for the resumes of most experienced workers. There’s no need or expectation to list every job you’ve had since college.

What you include depends on the positions you’ve held. Say you are applying for a job much like one you held 16 years ago. The job from 16 years ago would be relevant and should be listed.

As for a truthfulness statement, you are attesting to the accuracy of what is included on your resume.

If you want to include all your positions because a background check is required or for another reason, here’s a way to handle it:

❚ Show your relevant experience through 15 or so years in a standard resume format. Include company names, job titles and years, along with detailed information about accomplishments.

❚ Include an “Other Experiences” or a “Prior Experiences” section with a bulleted list of employers and job titles. There is no need to include dates.

This approach shows career progression while showcasing recent experience. It is especially useful when people who have changed careers want to reflect unrelated experience.