Canva says 1,271 employees will be affected by its company-wide restructuring.
Why it matters: The changes will alter Canva's workforce, product organization and office policy across 37 countries. The company has not said how many affected employees will leave.
- Canva says 1,271 employees, or 22% of its workforce, are affected; the figure includes role changes, relocations and departures.
- Product, Growth and Platform will be combined into one product organization, with Sydney becoming the primary base for more product teams and specialist roles.
- Most hybrid employees are expected to work from an office two to three days per week beginning in January 2027.
- Employees leaving Canva may receive at least six months of salary, inclusive of statutory entitlements, while eligible departing employees may receive grants of up to US$10,000.
Canva is restructuring its global workforce, with 1,271 employees, or 22% of the company, affected by the changes, CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins said in a company memo.
The 1,271 figure refers to affected employees, not confirmed layoffs. It includes people whose roles will change, who will relocate to centralized hubs or who will leave the company. Canva has not disclosed how many will be laid off outright, nor provided a separate headcount denominator or contractor breakdown for the 22% figure.
Perkins said Canva's growth had slowed for the first time in a decade and that "small changes won't be enough." She described the restructuring as an effort to "refound Canva" and called it the hardest moment in the company's 13-year history.
The company plans to combine its Product, Growth and Platform teams into a single product organization, simplify management layers and consolidate overlapping responsibilities, according to The Verge. Sydney will become the primary base for more product teams and some specialist roles.
Most hybrid employees are expected to work from an office two to three days per week beginning in January 2027, depending on local circumstances. The timing and process will vary across Canva's 37 countries, according to the company memo.
Departing employees will receive at least six months of salary, inclusive of statutory entitlements. The memo says the company package may also include 12 months of healthcare coverage, 12 months of Canva's employee-assistance program, career support and the ability to keep company MacBooks. Those benefits are separate from statutory entitlements and may not apply to every departing employee. A Canva fund will offer eligible departing employees grants of up to US$10,000 to start a business or pursue a community project.
Capital Brief reported that Canva separately eliminated 32 finance roles in January 2026 and 10 technical-writing roles in March 2025.
By the numbers
- 1,271 - employees Canva says are affected by the restructuring
- 22% - share of Canva's workforce represented by the affected employees, according to the company
- 37 - countries where the changes will affect employees
Yes, but: The company has not disclosed the number of outright layoffs or a headcount denominator behind the 22% figure. The stated total includes role changes and relocations, and the independent reports cited do not establish how many of the 1,271 employees will depart.
What's next: Canva's memo schedules meetings about the changes for November 2026. The revised office policy is expected to begin in January 2027, with timing varying by country.