Canva cuts or moves 1,271 jobs: what changes for users

Canva is cutting or relocating more than 1,200 jobs, which the company says represents 22% of its global workforce. According to Canva, the restructure will affect 1,271 people. The changes include laying off staff who helped build the Australian-founded design platform.

Chief executive Melanie Perkins announced the move in an email to staff on Wednesday. She described the restructure as the hardest moment in the company's thirteen-year history. Perkins did not specify the exact number of job losses, so the split between cuts and relocations has not been made public.

Part of the plan involves asking people to move. Perkins wrote that for some staff the restructure will mean changes to their roles or being asked to relocate to centralised hubs. She said the company knows relocating is a big decision for those being asked to consider it, and that it is committed to making the process as smooth as possible with comprehensive support.

The restructure focuses on collapsing layers and bringing more teams together in person. Perkins also said the company would be saying goodbye to teammates and friends who helped build Canva into what it is today.

Those leaving Canva will receive at least six months of salary. They retain healthcare coverage for a further 12 months in countries where workers receive that benefit. They can also keep their laptops.

Departing staff can apply for US$10,000 (A$14,000) grants to start their own ventures. These are the terms the company has set out for people affected by the restructure.

Canva is one of Australia's most successful startups and has long been touted as a candidate for a blockbuster listing on the Nasdaq. The restructure adds it to a wave of changes across the technology sector.

That wave has included 1,600 redundancies at Atlassian, plus job losses at Afterpay's owner Block and at WiseTech Global. The report notes that software companies are fighting to stay competitive against cheaper artificial intelligence disrupters while embedding AI tools themselves. Unlike Atlassian, Block and WiseTech, Canva did not mention AI in its restructure announcement.

The company has not said how many of the 1,271 affected people will lose their jobs and how many will be asked to move. The announcement also does not specify where the centralised hubs are or which teams are affected.

The confirmed facts are the 1,271 affected roles, the 22% share of the global workforce, the severance terms and the relocation option.