u/SnooPineapples8640

Throwaway-style post for obvious reasons. I’m a recently separated former T-Mobile retail leader, and I’m trying to understand the proper internal process for getting my separation documentation and any arbitration/dispute resolution agreement I may have signed during onboarding.

I’m not posting to bash anyone or name specific people/stores. I’m mainly looking for insight from current/former employees who have dealt with HR Records, Workday separation documents, or arbitration agreements.

The situation: I was terminated after a hostile customer incident. A customer became verbally aggressive during a return, refused the normal process, and threw store property. Another employee physically guided the customer out of the store. I did not direct that employee to physically remove the customer, and I verbally attempted to stop/direct him not to physically engage. To my understanding, the security footage does not include audio, so it would not show the customer’s tone, what was said, or any verbal direction I gave in the moment.
Leadership later told me part of the concern was that I should have done more to intervene, such as pulling the employee away or positioning myself between the employee and customer. That confused me because internal MagentaPulse/Fetch guidance I found says managers and employees should not physically intervene between an employee and a customer who is being physical or violent, and should instead focus on getting people to safety, contacting 911/ESOC when appropriate, and documenting/reporting the incident.

I completed the incident report within minutes of the event. After speaking with leadership the next day and processing what happened, I clarified the report within 24 hours to include additional context. I was also told other things contributed to the termination, such as counting tills before close, opening phone safes before close, and use of the fraud fighter pen. To my knowledge, I had never previously been coached, warned, or disciplined for those practices.
I have now submitted a formal response to HR Records asking that my statement be included in my personnel file, and I requested copies of any existing documentation identifying the reason or basis for my termination, including my Workday separation documentation/PDF, any separation summary, policies/training relied upon, and any arbitration or dispute resolution agreement.

My questions:
Has anyone successfully received their Workday separation documentation or written reason for termination from HR Records?
Does T-Mobile typically have employees sign an arbitration/dispute resolution agreement during onboarding?
If you requested your personnel file or separation records, how long did it take to receive anything?
Has anyone dealt with a situation where the stated expectation from leadership seemed different from MagentaPulse/internal safety guidance?
Not looking for legal advice from Reddit. I’m mainly trying to understand what documents usually exist, where they are stored, and what the normal process is for getting them.

Looking for HR, management, or employee relations perspectives.

I was recently terminated from a retail management role after a customer incident and I’m trying to understand whether the outcome was typical from an HR standpoint.

Facts:

I was the manager on duty and present on the sales floor.
A customer became disruptive, argumentative, and made threats toward an employee.
The employee asked the customer to leave.
The customer then threw an item toward the employee.
The employee physically guided the customer toward the exit.
The employee was terminated.
I never physically touched the customer.
I instructed the employee not to continue engaging with the customer after the incident.
The escalation from verbal confrontation to the customer throwing an item and the employee escorting them out happened very quickly.

The reason verbally given for my termination was that, as the manager, I failed to take control of the situation or failed to take appropriate action.

Some additional context:

I had no prior documented discipline, warnings, or corrective actions.
I had a strong performance history and had been recognized multiple times for performance and leadership.
My understanding of workplace violence and safety guidance was that employees and managers should not physically place themselves into potentially violent situations.
I am still waiting on the written documentation explaining the termination decision.

The part I am struggling with is understanding what action I realistically could have taken once the situation escalated. From my perspective, the incident unfolded in seconds, and by the time it became clear the employee was escorting the customer out, events were already in motion.

I understand there may be things that could have been handled differently in hindsight. My question is whether termination of the manager would generally be considered a typical outcome in a situation like this, or whether coaching, a final written warning, or another form of corrective action would be more common.

Interested in hearing from HR professionals, retail managers, loss prevention personnel, or anyone who has managed investigations involving customer confrontations.