Canva Workers Face Layoffs and a Perk They Didn’t Ask For: One Year of LinkedIn Premium

Canva's restructuring will affect 1,271 employees, representing 22 per cent of its workforce, with those leaving the design platform receiving at least six months of salary, 12 months of healthcare coverage where available and a year of LinkedIn Premium.

Announced by co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins on 3 November 2026, the changes also include US$10,000 (£7,426.50) grants for departing employees who want to start businesses or pursue community projects.

The figure does not mean that all 1,271 employees are being made redundant. Some will face changes to their roles or requests to relocate, while others will leave the company as Canva reshapes its organisation for the next decade.

Canva Restructuring Brings Major Changes to Teams and Offices

Perkins described the decision as one of the most difficult in the company's history. In her message to staff, she said smaller adjustments would not be enough to prepare Canva for its next phase, calling for the business to 'refound Canva' around smaller, more empowered teams.

The restructuring will bring the Product, Growth and Platform teams together into a single product organisation. Canva says the move is intended to reduce handovers, simplify decision-making and give teams clearer ownership of their work.

The company also plans to reduce layers of management and consolidate overlapping responsibilities. Its leadership believes that the existing structure has become too fragmented, making it harder for teams to take responsibility for broader product goals.

Sydney will become the main base for more product teams, while some employees may need to relocate. From January 2027, most hybrid staff will work in an office two to three days a week.

Perkins said Canva's growth had slowed for the first time in a decade as new technology reshapes digital creation.

Her statement does not explicitly identify artificial intelligence as the cause of the workforce changes. Although AI is reshaping the design software market, attributing the restructuring directly to AI would go beyond the explanation Canva has provided.

Canva Layoff Package Includes LinkedIn Premium and US$10,000 Grants

The support package extends beyond salary payments. Departing employees will receive at least six months of salary, inclusive of statutory entitlements, regardless of location, alongside 12 months of continued healthcare coverage in countries where Canva currently provides it.

The company will also provide 12 months of Canva Care, its employee assistance programme, with coverage extending to family members. Career support includes one-to-one coaching, interview preparation and a year of LinkedIn Premium.

Departing employees can keep their Canva MacBooks, while those who joined within the past year will benefit from changes to initial equity vesting.

The Canva Collective Fund will also offer US$10,000 (£7,426.50) grants to eligible employees starting businesses or community projects, without taking ownership or equity in their ventures.

The grants are not an automatic cash payment to every employee leaving the business. Departing staff must register their interest by 14 December 2026, and the company's announcement describes the funding as support for people seeking to get new ideas off the ground.

Canva is also establishing an opt-in alumni talent directory that it plans to share with investors, partners and its wider industry network. The aim is to help departing employees connect with potential employers and find their next opportunities.

Canva Has Yet to Disclose How Many Employees Will Leave

Despite the detailed support package, important questions remain about the employment impact. Canva has not disclosed how many of the 1,271 affected employees will be made redundant, how many will move into different roles or how many will be asked to relocate.

That distinction matters because the headline workforce figure covers several possible outcomes rather than a confirmed total of job losses.

Employees in different countries may also face different consultation processes and timelines because Canva operates across multiple jurisdictions.

The company says its immediate priority is to hold individual conversations with those affected and explain the next steps. For departing employees, those discussions will determine how the announced support translates into their own circumstances, including their salary arrangements, healthcare coverage and access to career assistance.