I work for R&D FMCG Co and plan to do my Ph.D. The company wants me to sign a bond with 3 years of service post-completion of my Ph.D. A Ph.D. itself takes 3-5 years for completion. Here, the company has mentioned that I cannot apply for a job or join any company during my Ph.D. Also, post-completion, I cannot join any competition for 3 years. I'm paying my fees for the Ph.D. I do not want the facility of my company. However, my college wants in writing that the company is providing me the facility. There is no monetary compensation mentioned in the agreement as I plan to leave the company before the completion of my Ph.D. My Ph.D. is also in Pharma-based and not FMCG, thus no confidential information will be stolen. Experts, please advise.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Dear Vithal,
You could have written your post with a little more clarity. You have written, "Company wants me to sign a bond with 3 years of service post-completion of PhD." Why does your company wish you to enter into a bond with you? What is their commercial interest?
What compensation will the company provide you to put restrictions on completing your PhD course? Your post is not clear on whether your company will pay you a salary while pursuing a PhD. If you are going to pay the fees for the PhD course, then why does the company wish to impose restrictions?
To pursue your PhD course, will you resign from your job? Will you do a PhD through distance learning, or is it a full-time course?
Why does your future college want a certificate from your past company that they will allow their facility to be used for your research? Is your admission to the PhD course linked to this certificate? If not your past company, is there any other company that provides the research facility?
Development feedback: - Well, gentleman, if you wish to be a future research scholar, then it is high time for you to improve your written communication skills. Your post is neither compatible with what you aspire to be nor with a student who has cleared the UGC-NET. Please note that research scholars are not exempted from spelling and grammar mistakes.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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8227You could have written your post with a little more clarity. You have written, "Company wants me to sign a bond with 3 years of service post-completion of PhD." Why does your company wish you to enter into a bond with you? What is their commercial interest?
What compensation will the company provide you to put restrictions on completing your PhD course? Your post is not clear on whether your company will pay you a salary while pursuing a PhD. If you are going to pay the fees for the PhD course, then why does the company wish to impose restrictions?
To pursue your PhD course, will you resign from your job? Will you do a PhD through distance learning, or is it a full-time course?
Why does your future college want a certificate from your past company that they will allow their facility to be used for your research? Is your admission to the PhD course linked to this certificate? If not your past company, is there any other company that provides the research facility?
Development feedback: - Well, gentleman, if you wish to be a future research scholar, then it is high time for you to improve your written communication skills. Your post is neither compatible with what you aspire to be nor with a student who has cleared the UGC-NET. Please note that research scholars are not exempted from spelling and grammar mistakes.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Divekarji,
I plan to do my off-campus Ph.D. The college wants in writing from the company that they will provide the required facility. The company, in that case, wants an agreement with a retention clause of 3 years post-Ph.D. as they will provide the facility. The company is not paying any fees and is not offering any extra leaves for college campus visits. In the agreement, it is mentioned not to join a competing company for 3 years post-Ph.D. and also not to apply for any job during the Ph.D. period. My research topic is pharma-related, while the company is in the cosmetic industry. I hope the matter is clear.
Hence, I seek advice on this subject.
From India, Mumbai
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I plan to do my off-campus Ph.D. The college wants in writing from the company that they will provide the required facility. The company, in that case, wants an agreement with a retention clause of 3 years post-Ph.D. as they will provide the facility. The company is not paying any fees and is not offering any extra leaves for college campus visits. In the agreement, it is mentioned not to join a competing company for 3 years post-Ph.D. and also not to apply for any job during the Ph.D. period. My research topic is pharma-related, while the company is in the cosmetic industry. I hope the matter is clear.
Hence, I seek advice on this subject.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Vithal,
You have two options now. One is to enter into an agreement with your past company. It appears that this company is opportunistic. They also knew well that for your PhD, their facility will not be used. However, not only are they locking your career to their company, but they will do it without paying a penny. Now, whether to accept this proposal or not is your call. However, if accepted, and if the legal agreement is signed, then you will have to honor it. If you enter an agreement with them, then it will be an agreement between an individual and a business entity. Therefore, it will be out of the purview of the labor laws.
By the way, what if the company backs out of providing you with a job after your PhD? What if they provide you with a job but do not pay you as per the market standards? What are their liabilities in this case?
The second option is to approach a Pharma company and obtain permission from them for the use of their laboratory or other research facilities. However, while doing so, you need to be careful and find out whether they have facilities that suffice your research requirements. There should not be a mismatch. Nothing wrong if this company imposes conditions on you for post-doctoral employment.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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You have two options now. One is to enter into an agreement with your past company. It appears that this company is opportunistic. They also knew well that for your PhD, their facility will not be used. However, not only are they locking your career to their company, but they will do it without paying a penny. Now, whether to accept this proposal or not is your call. However, if accepted, and if the legal agreement is signed, then you will have to honor it. If you enter an agreement with them, then it will be an agreement between an individual and a business entity. Therefore, it will be out of the purview of the labor laws.
By the way, what if the company backs out of providing you with a job after your PhD? What if they provide you with a job but do not pay you as per the market standards? What are their liabilities in this case?
The second option is to approach a Pharma company and obtain permission from them for the use of their laboratory or other research facilities. However, while doing so, you need to be careful and find out whether they have facilities that suffice your research requirements. There should not be a mismatch. Nothing wrong if this company imposes conditions on you for post-doctoral employment.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Divekarji, Thanks for taking your time to reply and provide genuine feedback appreciate. I’m already working as HOD R&D for FMCG co from which im seeking permission. Regards.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Dear Vithal,
Qualifications are the feathers in one's career's cap, and the Ph.D. is one of the most decorative feathers among them. You mention that you are working as an HoD in one of the FMCG companies, indicating that you are a middle-aged person. I admire your determination to pursue higher education at this stage of life. Kudos to you!
However, before embarking on the journey towards the highest qualification, it is crucial to clear the UGC-NET and then proceed with the Ph.D. I understand my advice may be unsolicited, but please know that my intention is not to offend you. My daughter is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from BHU, and Ph.D.-related topics are frequently discussed in our household. The UGC-NET examination holds recognition worldwide. Given that you will be dedicating significant years of your career to this pursuit, it is essential to earn a degree from a university with universal validity. Ph.D.s obtained after clearing the NET or JRF exams are highly respected, even within India. Therefore, please consider this aspect carefully.
Wishing you all the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Qualifications are the feathers in one's career's cap, and the Ph.D. is one of the most decorative feathers among them. You mention that you are working as an HoD in one of the FMCG companies, indicating that you are a middle-aged person. I admire your determination to pursue higher education at this stage of life. Kudos to you!
However, before embarking on the journey towards the highest qualification, it is crucial to clear the UGC-NET and then proceed with the Ph.D. I understand my advice may be unsolicited, but please know that my intention is not to offend you. My daughter is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from BHU, and Ph.D.-related topics are frequently discussed in our household. The UGC-NET examination holds recognition worldwide. Given that you will be dedicating significant years of your career to this pursuit, it is essential to earn a degree from a university with universal validity. Ph.D.s obtained after clearing the NET or JRF exams are highly respected, even within India. Therefore, please consider this aspect carefully.
Wishing you all the best!
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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