Canva announces changes affecting 1,271 employees

Perkins announced the changes in a note to staff, and Canva described the announcement as the hardest moment in its 13-year history.[1] The company said its growth had slowed for the first time in a decade.[1] It said new technology is changing what people can create, how they create it and what they expect from products.[1] Canva concluded that smaller changes would not be enough and said it would reorganize around smaller, empowered teams.[1] The 1,271 affected people may face role changes, relocation to centralized hubs or departure; the company did not say that all affected employees would leave.[1]

Canva said its Product, Growth and Platform teams would be combined into one Product organization.[1] The company said the new structure is intended to clarify ownership and give teams greater autonomy and flexibility.[1] It also plans to reduce subspecialization by incorporating narrower specialties into broader roles, simplify management layers and consolidate overlapping responsibilities.[1] Sydney will become the primary base for more product teams and some other roles that require close collaboration.[1] For teams assessing how responsibilities may shift, the announcement points to broader roles and consolidated ownership as central parts of the redesign.[1]

Canva said most hybrid employees would be expected to work in an office around two to three days a week from January.[1] Departing employees would receive at least six months of salary, inclusive of statutory entitlements, and healthcare coverage for 12 months in countries where Canva provides that benefit.[1] The company said departing staff could keep their company MacBooks and would receive career coaching, interview preparation and one year of LinkedIn Premium.[1] Canva also offered US$10,000 grants to departing employees who want to start something of their own; applicants have until December 14 to register interest, and Canva said it would take no ownership or equity in their projects.[1]

The announcement did not mention AI as a reason for the restructuring.[3] Canva said the changes were about building products, not using AI to do the work of departing employees.[2] A union representing Canva employees called the news a shock, particularly so soon before the Christmas break, and called on large technology companies to be honest about AI’s impact on jobs.[2] The union’s statement described AI as an existential threat to Canva’s core business model while also expressing optimism about the company’s future and long-term potential.[2] Canva says its platform is used by hundreds of millions of people.[1]