Can a woman CEO handle layoffs differently? Canva's Melanie Perkins is making people ask

As tech companies continue to slash jobs, Canva CEO Melanie Perkins is taking a different approach to layoffs. From how she communicated the cuts to the support offered to departing employees, her playbook is drawing attention.Getting fired, but with support: What Canva is doing differentlyNew Delhi,Nov 6, 2026 08:33 ISTFrom six months' salary and free MacBooks to career support and startup grants, Canva's response to mass layoffs is drawing attention. But does a more empathetic exit strategy signal a different kind of leadership?When companies announce mass layoffs, the conversation usually centres on how many jobs are being cut, which departments are affected and what the restructuring means for the business. But Canva's latest workforce reduction has brought another question into focus: how companies treat employees when they decide they no longer need them.Canva CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins has announced a restructuring that will affect 1,271 employees, or 22 per cent of the company's workforce. Calling it the hardest moment in Canva's 13-year history, Perkins acknowledged the human cost of the decision. What has particularly caught attention, however, is what the company is offering those who are leaving.The package includes at least six months' salary, regardless of location, continued healthcare coverage for 12 months in eligible countries, career coaching, interview preparation and a one-year LinkedIn Premium subscription. Employees can also retain their company-issued MacBooks. In addition, Canva is offering $10,000 grants through its newly announced Canva Collective Fund to employees who want to start a business or undertake a project in their local communities. The company says it will not seek equity or ownership in ventures supported by these grants.The measures have prompted discussion about whether Canva is demonstrating a more considerate way of handling layoffs at a time when employees across the technology industry are facing repeated rounds of job cuts. - Ends