Canva’s Layoff Package Puts Its Values to the Test

In a recent LinkedIn post, Linas Beliūnas discusses Canva’s decision to cut 22% of its workforce and the support the company is offering departing employees. His post frames the move as both a response to slower growth and a test of how a business treats people during a difficult restructuring.

“This is the first layoff in the tech startup’s 13-year history.”

Severance and support for departing employees

Beliūnas highlights a package that includes at least six months’ salary, a year of healthcare coverage where available, career coaching, and a year of LinkedIn Premium. Recent hires will have the one-year equity vesting cliff removed, and employees can keep their Canva MacBooks. The post also says some employees may receive a $10,000 grant to start a business or community project, with Canva taking no equity.

“That’s an unusually generous exit package,” Beliūnas writes, arguing that other technology leaders should pay attention to the terms. The package stands out in his account because it extends beyond pay to address healthcare, career transitions, and employees’ next steps.

A restructuring alongside the layoffs

According to Beliūnas, Canva is also merging its Product, Growth, and Platform groups, reducing management layers, and asking more teams to work together in Sydney. He presents these organizational changes as part of a broader business reset, as AI reshapes the economics of design and the company’s growth slows after a decade of expansion.

Beliūnas reports that Canva remains profitable, while founder and CEO Melanie Perkins has described the layoffs as the hardest moment in the company’s history. That context, in his view, helps explain the pressure behind the decision without removing its consequences for employees.

Company values under pressure

The post does not suggest generous severance can make job losses painless. Beliūnas acknowledges the shock of losing work and distinguishes financial support from the emotional and practical effects of redundancy. His assessment gives Perkins credit for the way the decision is being handled while keeping the impact on workers in view.

“The real test is how you treat people when they’re leaving.”

That closing point captures the standard Beliūnas applies to Canva’s response: company values are measured not only during periods of hiring and growth, but also when roles disappear. His post presents the exit package as a notable example for other CEOs, while recognizing that support cannot erase the disruption of a layoff.