So where I work are having a complete restructure of our department - basically noone has a job, and everyone has to reinterview for the new jobs. Most of the jobs are restricted to applicants from the same grade and doing a similar job already, except for a few.
One such job is the grade above me, but is open to applicants from my grade. The person doing the most similar job at the moment is also the same grade as me, so will certainly be applying, but it's been a long standing bone of contention that he hadn't been promoted to this higher grade already.
I'm doing a very different job to him but have the experience to do the higher grade job from my previous roles. Do I apply, given that he will see this as 'his' job and almost certainly already be quite miffed that it was thrown open to everyone?
My thinking is that if they really wanted to give him the job, they wouldn't have thrown it open, right? But if I got it, he'd get made redundant, so would his team hate me, seeing me as the person who got him ousted? Is it ethical for me to apply? I mean I could not apply and then they still not give it to him and end up recruiting externally, and then everyone would have lost out, right?
Or do I just steer clear and just interview for the job at my grade and try and keep that?
It's complicated by the fact that I'm still on mat leave, so can't go and have an informal chat with him over a cuppa.
Any thoughts?