Sentence:  It is not unusual in turnaround situations for the turnaround manager to eliminate up to 20 percent of the jobs within the company. Is that tough? Of course it is, and the people who remain have to <WSD>take up the slack</WSD>, but it is far more preferable than closing the doors. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To do work that would otherwise be left undone.