How do I handle the difference in how we are treated?

[DaftyLass]

Name changed, this is a bit outing and awkward.
Sorry it's so long, I don't wish to drip feed.

TLDR : work treats me better than my coworkers

I work in a medium sized retail business, one of a small chain owned locally.
I am friends with most everyone, and have become quite close to one person who basically mentored me at the beginning.
They have worked for this group for more than ten years, I am less than two years in.

In that time, they were promoted, had that position for a while, then got demoted.
They told me it happened because their availability had to change, and work wouldn't adapt with them.

Over the last year, as we have become closer, they opened up more about it, and said they had been bullied out of the position, that our boss is not willing to compromise, never listens to employees, is unsupportive, and more.

The thing is, that isn't how they treat me at all. I have been promoted twice, with pay rises each time. I am being trained for further advance, and have been given a lot of new responsibility.

I have also been able to take weeks off, with no notice, for a family emergency, not penalized at all. I have received thank you notes from the boss for stepping up to help when there was a crisis at work.
Any time I have had an issue, boss/management has reacted quickly and helpfully.

Coworker friend has not specifically addressed this, but has been hinting lately that the boss really is unfair. I agreed and admitted they have treated me well, and that I don't understand the difference in how they get treated in comparison.

I don't want there to be tension between me and my mentor, they have been nothing but great to me, and I really like them as a person too. It is becoming a thing though, and I don't know what to say when they aren't happy.
We work closely, so it's not like I can brush it off and won't hear about it again.

How do I keep my good thing going, without rubbing her nose in it, or having tensions ?

Also, if there is a better place to post this, happy to have it moved

Anyone?

Difficult. Continue to emphasise with and support your mentor, you can't control your bosses decisions. Has your mentor been to HR?

Why do you think you are receiving different treatment? There must be a reason if your boss is unpleasant to others and causing resentment.

Thank you, and for sure I will support and be there for my mentor..
We don't have an HR department, each outlet had its own manager, under one owner, but no hr. Owner does the hire/fire , and promotion choices.

I am not 100% sure on why we are treated differently. I think, from what my mentor has said, is that they and the boss have argued many times over the years. The boss doesn't like being confronted and is often busy, so doesn't address small things right away.
Mentor works exceptionally hard, feels underappreciated, and can be snappy.

I have never had a cause to fall out, so maybe I seem easier to deal with?

I’d do a vague “That’s just really strange. Maybe you should talk to X about it.” every time. If they keep going, just keep saying “Huh, that’s really strange” and then waft off in a different direction!

I think I'm probably you. I have got to a senior position by basically working hard, looking to support my line manager and the leadership and not stepping on anyone else on the way.

I've never needed to confront my line manager, the md, over anything. We have a mutually respectful and trusting working relationship and might professionally disagree but there's never tension.

Your mentor might show their very best side to you, but I bet the line manager has seen a different one over the years. Or there could be some kind of favouritism or discrimination at play, it's difficult to know without knowing the full context.

Unless you feel there's something unethical going on and want to wade in to defend your colleague, I'd be inclined to stay well out of it and focus on your own career.

I suppose each story has 2 sides, you obviously don’t know your boss’s side but have you got a chance to see by yourself any situations with your mentor and your boss? Or how are both of them with other people? Your mentor might be right or your boss might be right, or it could be mixture of both. It’s better to know where the truth lay ( at least approximately) .

You can't get away from the basic truth that whatever our role is we're just people. I suspect that the difference is simply that they don't get on. Perhaps there's history between them

I don't often see the boss, he is only at our location once a week for a few hours, so not much chance to see how they are together.

Maybe they have just irritated each other too long.

I am going to try to keep things neutral, and as suggested, redirect her, or the conversation, as it were.

I really hope it helps, because I don't it to become a thing between us.