{
  "id": 18525363,
  "title": "‘A master class in how to handle layoffs’: Canva is restructuring 22% of its workforce, and LinkedIn is applauding the exit package",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/a-master-class-in-how-to-handle-layoffs-canva-is-restructuring-22-of",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-06T15:34:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/11/06/canva-layoffs-severance-package-praised-melanie-perkins/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canva, the Sydney-based design company, has announced a significant restructuring that will affect 22% of its workforce, totaling 1,271 employees. Co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins announced the changes in a note to staff, which was shared on LinkedIn. The impact of the restructuring has garnered praise from industry experts and social media users alike, with Perkins' approach being described as \"a master-class in how to handle layoffs\" and \"thoughtful, honest and generous.\"\n\nPerkins revealed that the company's growth has slowed for the first time in a decade, leading to the decision to cut jobs. She explained that Canva's strategy involved simplifying layers, consolidating overlapping responsibilities, and ensuring teams have the right mix of skills and experience. The goal is to return to the company's roots of small, empowered teams, focusing on what matters most for the community.\n\nDeparting employees will receive at least six months' salary, including statutory entitlements, and 12 months of continued healthcare coverage. Other benefits include career transition support, such as one-on-one coaching, interview preparation, and a year of LinkedIn Premium. Employees can also take their company MacBooks and Canva is removing the one-year vesting cliff for those who joined in the past year.\n\nIn addition, a new Canva Collective Fund is offering $10,000 grants to eligible departing employees to pursue an idea, start a business, or launch a project without giving up equity or ownership. The company has already received applications for various ideas, including writing a book, building a sustainable farming venture, and returning to school.\n\nPerkins emphasized that these changes are not about replacing roles with AI but rather about setting Canva up for success in the AI-driven future. The company's severance package, with a minimum of six months, is more than double the average in the tech industry. While some companies are making their severance policies more generous, others are reducing them. Experts suggest that how a company handles layoffs is a crucial signal to its team, partners, and potential hires.",
  "summary": "CEO Melanie Perkins’s note to staff drew applause online for a package that includes a year of healthcare, career coaching and $10,000 project grants",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nairametrics",
        "title": "Canva restructures workforce, affecting 1,271 employees globally",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/canva-restructures-workforce-affecting-1-271-employees-globally",
        "published": "2026-11-04T14:34:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "VnExpress Business",
        "title": "Billionaire couple-run Canva restructures, affecting over 1,200 employees",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/billionaire-couple-run-canva-restructures-affecting-over-1-200",
        "published": "2026-11-06T03:04:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}