An Employment Tribunal in Belfast has ruled that PM & KP Ltd is liable for redundancy and notice payments owed to former senior interior designer Roberta Joan Corbett, whose employment ended on 30 May 2025 when she was told by email - while on holiday - that the Orenda Living store was closing.

The tribunal, chaired by Employment Judge Sheils and sitting with members Mr S Alexander and Mr I Atcheson, delivered its unanimous judgment on 12 May 2026 following a hearing on 6 May 2026.

Corbett had originally named eight respondents in her claim, including individuals and companies linked to the Orenda Living business. Six were removed from the proceedings at a preliminary case management hearing, leaving Orenda Living and PM & KP Ltd as the remaining respondents. Neither appeared at the final hearing.

The tribunal found that PM & KP Ltd was Corbett's employer for the purposes of redundancy and notice pay. That finding was consistent with the position taken by the Department for the Economy's Redundancy Payments Service, represented at the hearing by Ms Aisling Moody as a notice party. Payslips submitted as evidence showed that PM & KP Ltd had paid Corbett's wages in February and September 2024, while earlier payslips showed payments from Orenda Living and Orenda Living (Derry) Ltd.

Corbett, who represented herself, had been employed as a Senior Interior Designer since 2019, initially by LB & JK Ltd. She told the tribunal she had understood herself throughout that period to be employed by Orenda Living. The redundancy letter she received, sent by Chris Donaghy by email on 30 May 2025, advised her that a decision had been taken to close the Orenda Living store, asked her to return company property including showroom keys, and was accompanied by a payslip issued in the name of PM & KP Ltd.

The tribunal ordered that Corbett be paid redundancy pay of £2,653.50 and notice pay of £1,769.00, both subject to standard deductions. The judgment is a relevant judgment for the purposes of the Industrial Tribunals (Interest) Order (Northern Ireland) 1990.