Actually, what does higher job grade mean? Promote to a higher grade, it is a promotion. Asking you to leave and work at a "higher job grade" without increase in pay, then it is just an excuse. They just want you to leave. The OP who post this will know which is which. Since they did not even ask him and just inform him he is posted out, my money is that they are getting rid of him. People who are being groomed normally knows about their redeployment more than 6 mths in advance.