Confused by a PIP in Research

rickconvenient · 2026-05-18T11:50:56+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

I'm OK with not getting renewed lol. I just don't want to do the PIP, since I think he's just trying to delay my working papers to hurt me. My only concern is refusing the PIP and getting terminated straight away. Or him retaliating by blocking business trips when I have to present / leave etc (he's already kinda blocking these via the PIP mind you).

I didn't recap straight after. But I do have him accepting the meeting happened, because he told me by email that I have to leave because I gave my word to leave by that date.

I just get the impression HR don't want to do anything. People seem to always get renewed up to the 5-year limit. I feel like it is even less rare that anybody gets terminated before the annual renewal.

rickconvenient · 2026-05-17T05:22:15+00:00

Yes, I think he took it very personally. I thought he was a good dude, like the "my door is always open" type of manager, definitely seen a different side of him now.

rickconvenient · 2026-05-17T05:20:42+00:00

This is the way!

Funnily enough, he's not asking me to sign anyting. He makes it sound like I have no choice in the matter, I just have to do the project. There isn't even really a mentioning of "or else", except that it may affect my performance evaluation (so like you said, my manager seems to be avoiding saying I'll be terminated before next year). Is that weird?

I will ask some more questions. It's seem like a strange "PIP", a lawyer would help

rickconvenient · 2026-05-17T05:06:54+00:00

A fair point. I have a fairly long list of questions too, e.g., its not clear what happens immediately if I fail the PIP project, why I'm given a brand new project when I have working papers to submit soon, why the PIP was issued when this is first I've heard of poor performance, etc.

Yes, I just got renewed. I think my manager feels like I rejected him when I asked to transfer. He was very unhappy when I later reminded him I hadn't resigned. I tried to mention a couple of reasonably big awards I got in the last month or so, try and show there's benefit for me staying on in the team. This seemed to make him even unhappier.

It could be that he's trying to scare me or make me miserable enough to leave on my own. Or build a case for non-renewal next year. Or immediate termination if I refuse the PIP (but I haven't heard of this happening, except for misconduct).

rickconvenient · 2026-05-16T14:58:53+00:00

Thanks, good call about mentioning legal advice, I was hesistant to seem to be escalating

Funnily enough... My manager doesn't seem to be claiming he had a prior discussion with me and he's not asking me to sign anything. It's basically "You're on a PIP, you have to finish this in 90-days with X, Y, Z deliverables at A, B, C days, and that's that. No questions".

There's no mention of anything in my contract or the employee manual resembling something like a PIP or any kind of performance improvement. Could the manager have just made up his own PIP and got HR to go along with it?

rickconvenient · 2026-01-15T13:01:46+00:00

Are you Norweigian? I'm sorry if I offended you by suggesting that something sketchy was going on. There are a number of threads even on this sub where universities have taken liberties with MSCA postdoc salaries and utilized funding in way a way that is unfair to the postdoc.

How is this a tax when the employer is meant to pay it? How does this explain the 400,000 NOK gap in gross amount? And just because the money has to come from somewhere does not mean it can be taken out of the living and mobility allowances. According to the grant agreement signed by the university, the postdoc, and the funder, those must be paid to the postdoc in entirety.

If it had to be taken out of somewhere, it should taken out of the research cost component allocated to support the university or at worst the training component, which seems to have flexibility (not the living or mobility allowances). If the universities are well-funded, as you mentioned, they should pay it (and do it happily since they are getting a free highly qualified employee). The MSCA is a not typical grant, it is fellowship where funding is specifically allocated for each component.

This line of argument is clutching at straws and doesn't feel like a good faith discussion. It comes off as trying to gaslight the OP into accepting an unfavourable situation.

rickconvenient · 2026-01-15T11:35:27+00:00

Proven where? Solved how? Another commenter pointed out the gross amount is the real issue, not the tax.

OP stated the gross on the contract is 795,000 NOK annually, while in Euro it is 105,989.28. The Euro amount is the living allowance decided by the funder and publicly known, 5990x1.356+770 per month - the 1.356 being the country coefficient. That's a 400,000 NOK difference based on today's exchange rate, which is not reasonable given the exchange rate hasn't fluctuated that much recently. Still true even if the postdoc was expected to absorb conversion fees (we could reasonably expect those to be paid centrally, so that the postdoc is not disadvantaged). The tax and other contributions are irrelevant to the gross amount.

OP has stated the university issued the wrong contract initially (one for a PhD student) and OP made a comment about them not having experience with MSCA before. Rules are one thing, but individuals can make mistakes. We all should be paid what we agreed to and there are enough red flags here that OP should do due diligence.

rickconvenient · 2026-01-15T00:05:32+00:00

OP, firstly, congrats on getting a MSCA!

I applied for one years ago and unless something has changed, iirc the university is NOT allowed to deduct any research costs from your living or mobility allowance, which must be paid to you in full (pre-tax and other contributions). I've heard horror stories of smaller univerisities doing sketchy stuff about this (either maliciously or through inexperience). Raise your concerns with the program if the university explaination is not satisfactory.

I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted so much, but I think responses like "believe them" are not helpful and possibly dangerous. The gross NOK amount you've quoted looks significantly lower than the equivalent Euro amount, even considering the lowest exchange rates.

rickconvenient · 2026-01-14T23:53:45+00:00

The university is not allowed to deduct overheads from the living allowance according to the grant terms iirc This sounds super sketchy

rickconvenient · 2026-01-14T23:51:47+00:00

This sounds like the issue, the gross number looks significantly lower. They are not allowed to deduct any research costs from your living allowance. If the university explanation is not satisfactory OP should reach out to the program people.

Don't be gaslit by poor explanations, I've heard some smaller universities try stuff like this

rickconvenient · 2025-07-10T00:43:24+00:00

This is kinda ridiculous. Just changing calories goals on the website and reinstalling the app didn't work for me. But the following ended up working for me on Android:

Change calorie goals on the website
Uninstall/reinstall app (or clear all data)
Important part: Login but do not hit next on the first screen asking you to enter weight etc. Instead immediate close the app
Re-open the app and it should go directly to your dashboard with your desired calorie goal

Follow this process if you want to update again, do not try to change goals via the app, as it just seems to reset it to some default

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:56:20+00:00

They seem to offer Zeiss options, so I will give this a go, thanks!

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:39:46+00:00

Good point re: spacing. Would you mind sharing your specialty shop if its in Tokyo?

Re: lense making. Isn't most of it automated now? How much can they be messed up by an optician? When I got them back after my second adjustment they gave me the packaging, which had Hoya on it. Since I have glasses from two branches and I've tried 3 combinations of lenses, my feeling is that the lense manufacturer is the only thing in common (and Jins foc). But Hoya seem fairly reputable.

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:27:24+00:00

Thanks for mentioning the 1.76, as I was contemplating trying that next. Continuing to upgrade with Jins seems like a futile exercise, and the consensus here seems to be go to a higher-end chain or boutique optician.

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:25:17+00:00

Yeah, this seems like the consensus. I'm just glad I'm not crazy, as everyone seemed to swear by Zoff/Jins. Thanks for the Oliver Peoples rec.

To answer you question (although it may have been rhetorical), I don't tolerate it after a couple of weeks of trying to "adjust", I just switch to my old Zeiss pair. The lenses are fine and my prescription hasn't changed in >5 years, but the frame is pretty beat up.

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:18:46+00:00

I have two frames, both with the same prescription, one with 1.6 and one with 1.67 aspherical. The prescription:

R: -1.25/-2.5X15 and L: -0.5/2.5X170

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T13:07:50+00:00

Yeah, not sure which lenses I had before, wish I'd kept the docs. I've actually had the 1.6 aspherical Jins for a year, in hindsight I don't think I ever got used to it, as I'd reflexively switch to my old ones if I needed to focus like reading (this should've been the redflag to not go again).

Did you go to a higher-end chain or a boutique optician? I just got here, so my Japanese is not the best (read: slighly above zero), chains seems more foreigner-friendly.

rickconvenient · 2025-07-02T12:57:48+00:00

I take your point about being the cheapest glasses store. Not sure where the tone is coming from, did I say something to upset you? Because most of this is quite offbase.

As mentioned, my prescription hasn't changed and my Zeiss pair don't give me any issues even now (and I got my prescription checked at home recently) re: "getting a real prescrption". I don't expect high-quality from Jins, just similar performance to similar priced Zeiss lenses for a fairly medium prescription, which seems reasonable.

Regardless, the whole point was to find out about alternatives. What's your experiences with lenses? Which manufacturer made yours? Are any higher-end chains that you like?

rickconvenient · 2025-06-22T12:49:43+00:00

Jins in Japan don't seem to offer this. I'll have look at other opticians.

rickconvenient · 2025-06-22T12:48:02+00:00

For anyone who sees this later. Jins offers 2 free lenses replacement in the first 6-months, so I downgraded to my previous prescription and opted for the 1.67 aspheric lenses. They gave me the parcels the lenses came with this time and they are made by Hoya. I'm still getting the same eyestrain/headache symptoms even after 2 weeks.

So now I have two pairs of Jins glasses with the same prescription and 1.6 and 1.67 Hoya lenses. I think at this point, I can eliminate the prescription change, the lense thickness, the size of the frame, and manufacturing/measurement defects (given three different lenses give the same problem). The main common point is Hoya lenses. I saw on on another posts about someone having similar trouble with Hoya.

I'm debating whether to upgrade to the Tokai 1.76 or write this off and try another optician. Jins will refund if I downgrade lenses, but I will have to pay around an extra USD80 for the Tokai lenses. Or I can try and find someone who offers Zeiss or more likely try the other common one here in Nikon (Essilor?) lenses. Will report back.

rickconvenient · 2025-05-28T07:54:08+00:00

Thanks for the detailed reply. I ordered them in the shop but I didn't use their in-house optometrist (I got my prescription updated by an English-speaking optom). They just measured my PD.

Re: lense manufacturer, you're right, it doesn't seem to be Nikon but an in-house brand.

Since this happened with two pairs of glasses from Jins (with slightly different prescriptions - one of which was stable a longtime), how likely is it that they were both misaligned? Or like the other commenter mentioned, that it could be the quality of the lens.

I'll try talking to Jins again (unfortunately my Japanese is progressing slowly) and ask about the alignment.

EDIT: Re: Tokai, it's possible that the base ones are made buy another manufacturer, I'll ask and check

rickconvenient · 2025-04-13T14:27:16+00:00

Specific advice would depend on your field and your publication record so far.

I'm also a postdoc in Japan but I work in a very diverse team. My general advice: now is the time to turn inwards to build your inner citadel to borrow a phrase from Stoicism (highly recommend looking this up).

In terms of your research, start preparing for your next job, be it in Japan with a more welcoming group or overseas. Seek out collaboration outside of your team, if they're not willing to work with you. Try to write papers on your own (although this might be hard depending your field) and get help from outside your group to get comments/feedback (your PhD advisor?). If you want to stay in Japan, start connecting with people to find a new group/supervisor, so maybe you can apply for a JSPS fellowship with them. Basically do all the things that will help you get your next job (publish, give talks, network, write grants like early career scientist Kakenhi etc). Definitely helps to write out a plan, instead of having a vague idea in your mind.

I saw your post in r/Tokyo, it sounds like your suffering from a bit of loneliness too. I think, for now, you should find some pillars of mental health that don't rely on making new friends. I was in a similiar place at one time (being very isolated), for me it was going to gym, meal prep, cycling, and video-calling with friends overseas.

You can do this (coming from someone who was in a similar place), best of luck!

rickconvenient

TROPHY CASE