Canva restructure hits 22% of staff, with an unusual exit offer
SYDNEY — Canva is offering departing employees at least six months’ salary, extended healthcare where applicable and support to launch their own ventures as it restructures its workforce. The package has drawn praise for chief executive Melanie Perkins, even as the design software company prepares to shed jobs following slower growth.
The changes affect 1,271 employees, representing 22% of Canva’s workforce, but that figure includes people facing altered roles or relocation as well as redundancies. Canva’s announcement does not specify how many employees will ultimately leave the business.
Perkins said growth had slowed for the first time in a decade and that smaller adjustments would no longer be sufficient. The company plans to combine its Product, Growth and Platform divisions, reduce overlapping responsibilities and simplify management layers, with the aim of giving teams greater ownership of their work.
Sydney will become the main base for more product teams, requiring some employees to consider relocation. Most hybrid staff will also be expected to work from an office around two to three days a week from January, depending on their team.
For those leaving, the six-month salary minimum includes statutory entitlements. Healthcare will continue for 12 months in countries where Canva already provides it, alongside a year of employee assistance support extending to family members. Departing staff can keep their company MacBooks and receive career coaching, interview preparation and LinkedIn Premium subscriptions.
A new Canva Collective Fund will offer US$10,000 grants for departing employees pursuing businesses or community projects. Interested employees have until 14 December to register, and Canva says it will take no ownership stake in their ventures.
Moneycontrol reported that some LinkedIn users praised the accountability and empathy in Perkins’ announcement. That reaction concerns how the departures are being handled, while the commercial outcome of the restructuring remains to be demonstrated. Employees are due to hear more about the changes at a company meeting on 10 November.
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