Canva's Layoff Package Sets a New Bar: $10,000 Grants and a Year of LinkedIn Premium

Canva is giving more than 1,200 laid-off employees exit packages that go well beyond corporate norms — including $10,000 grants for those who want to "start something of their own." The design software company announced the cuts this week, pairing severance and extended healthcare with above-average job-search support as workers enter a challenging market.

The package includes one-on-one interview prep, a year of LinkedIn Premium, and access to an employee-alumni directory for networking. Offering some career resources is not unusual. What sets Canva apart is the scale of the support — and it is not alone.

Which companies are doing this?

Verizon set the benchmark last year. After announcing more than 13,000 job cuts, the telecom giant established a $20 million reskilling and career transition fund. It covers more than 30,000 courses and 80 professional certificate programs aligned with what the company calls "in-demand skills."

Chevron is moving in the same direction. The oil major, which plans to cut up to 20% of its workforce by the end of this year, says it will reimburse up to 75% of the cost of qualifying coursework for laid-off employees through an educational assistance program.

Greg Simpson, global practice leader for career transition and mobility at talent advisory firm LHH, tracks this shift. "It does not surprise us to see an offer that's like this," he said of Canva's package.

Why is this happening now?

Two forces are at work. First, layoffs have become commonplace in the AI era, and Simpson says companies feel a greater sense of responsibility toward departing workers as a result. Second, as AI changes the skills workers need, more leaders treat career-transition support as part of workforce strategy rather than an afterthought. Some employers are also offering voluntary buyouts more lucrative than standard severance.

The numbers behind the trend come from LHH's 2026 report:

• 87% of HR leaders said their organizations recently made layoffs or plan to within the next year
• More than 75% said layoffs are ongoing
• About 58% of the 418,000 laid-off workers LHH supported moved into an entirely new career in 2025 — a level steady since 2022

What does this change for a laid-off worker?

For an individual, the practical takeaway is that exit terms are becoming a real variable in job negotiations and expectations. A package like Canva's can carry a market value well into five figures once you count a $10,000 grant, a year of premium networking tools, and coached interview preparation. Nearly six in ten displaced workers LHH supported last year changed careers entirely, so reskilling funds matter more than a reference letter.

Employers have their own motives. Pav Stojkovic, former chief people officer at The Athletic and biotech startup Omeat, said robust support "helps preserve a more positive work culture for those who survive the cuts."

There is also a reputational calculation. Matthew Whol, a former executive recruiter who now runs an outplacement platform, said social media criticism from laid-off employees is "becoming a real negative on their business." Former workers can become powerful advocates — or critics. "I jokingly tell people that your best customer or your best marketer is the person who doesn't work for you anymore," Whol said.

With most HR leaders expecting cuts to continue through the next year, richer transition packages look likely to spread — and departing employees who know the new norms will be better positioned to ask for them.