Canva is cutting or relocating 1,271 staff members, representing 22% of its global workforce, as part of a company-wide restructure.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Canva is cutting or relocating more than 1,200 jobs, representing 22% of its global workforce, as part of a major restructure that includes laying off staff who helped build the Australian-founded design platform.
The restructure will affect 1,271 people, according to the company, as it focuses on "collapsing layers" and bringing "more teams together in person."
Canva’s chief executive, Melanie Perkins, said in an email to staff on Wednesday that the restructure was "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history."
Perkins stated that for some employees, the changes "will mean changes to their roles or being asked to relocate to centralised hubs." She also noted, "Sadly, it will also mean saying goodbye to teammates and friends who have helped build Canva into what it is today."
Regarding the relocation of staff, Canva will make Sydney the primary home for more of its product teams and specialists. Most of its hybrid workforce is expected to attend their local office "two to three days" per week starting in January 2027.
Those leaving Canva will receive at least six months of salary and retain healthcare coverage for a further 12 months in countries where workers receive that benefit. They are also permitted to keep their Canva-supplied Apple MacBook laptops.
Additionally, departing employees can apply for US$10,000 (A$14,000) grants to start their own ventures.
Perkins said, "We know relocating is a big decision for those being asked to consider it, and we’re committed to making the process as smooth as possible with comprehensive support."
Perkins cited "new technology" as "transforming what people can create, how they create it, and what they expect from the products they use," though she did not directly refer to generative artificial intelligence (genAI) in her note to staff.
Perkins said the decision was made "after exploring a wide range of alternatives" and that "small changes won’t be enough" to set the company up for the next decade. She described the move as a need to "refound Canva, getting back to our roots of small, empowered teams with the freedom to make decisions, take ownership and focus on what matters most for our community."
To reduce complexity, Canva will bring its product, growth, and platform teams together. Perkins stated the company is "reducing subspecialisation," "collapsing layers to broaden ownership" of its products, and "consolidating overlapping responsibilities."
This move follows other technology sector restructures, including 1,600 redundancies at Atlassian, and job losses at WiseTech Global and Block, the owner of Afterpay. While some software companies have rejected the threat of a "SaaS-pocalypse"—a term used to describe the idea that AI becomes so advanced that specialized software becomes redundant—many have overhauled business models in response to AI tools.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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