Canva is cutting or relocating more than 1,200 jobs, or 22% of its global workforce, in a restructure that includes laying off staff who helped build the Australian-founded design platform, according to The Guardian.
Chief executive Melanie Perkins told staff in an email on Wednesday that the changes were "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history." The restructure affects 1,271 people, the company said, as it focuses on "collapsing layers" and bringing "more teams together in person." Perkins said some employees would see changes to their roles or be asked to relocate to centralised hubs, and did not specify the exact number of job losses.
Those leaving will receive at least six months of salary and retain healthcare coverage for a further 12 months in countries where workers receive that benefit, and can keep their laptops. They can also apply for US$10,000 (A$14,000) grants to start their own ventures.
The move adds to a wave of restructures in the technology sector, which has included 1,600 redundancies at Atlassian and job losses at Block, the owner of Afterpay, and WiseTech Global. Unlike those companies, Canva did not mention artificial intelligence in its announcement. Canva is one of Australia's most successful startups and has long been touted as a candidate for a blockbuster listing on the Nasdaq.