Canva Restructures Organization, Affecting 1,271 Employees, or 22% of the Company, Due to Slowing Growth Rate

Key summary

Melanie Perkins, CEO and co-founder of Canva, announced a major organizational restructuring that will affect 1,271 employees, or 22% of the company. This includes layoffs, role changes, and transfers to new offices. The company stated that this is the "most challenging year" since its founding, as the growth rate has slowed down after 10 years, and the increasingly complex organizational structure requires a return to smaller teams with clearer decision-making authority and accountability. The organizational restructuring focuses on three main areas: integrating the Product, Growth, and Platform teams; centralizing teams that work closely together with Sydney as the main hub for the product team; and requiring hybrid employees to work in the office approximately 2-3 days per week starting in January 2027. For employees who are leaving the company, or "Kind Layoff," there are six key benefits: at least 6 months of salary and legal benefits regardless of location; the ability to keep their company MacBook for job searching; 12 months of health insurance coverage in countries where this benefit is offered; an extension of Canva Care wellness services for another 12 months; a 1-year LinkedIn Premium subscription with a personal coach to review resumes and practice interviews; and the elimination of the 1-year waiting period before employees who joined in the past year become eligible for stock options. In addition, Canva has established the Canva Collective Fund to support individuals who are leaving the company and want to start a business or community project. Applicants can apply for up to US$10,000, which is approximately 300,000 Thai baht (depending on the exchange rate). Interested individuals must register by December 14, 2026, and the company has not yet disclosed the number of recipients.