The Washington Post will lay off staff if it does not reach its target of 240 voluntary buyouts, interim CEO Patty Stonesifer told employees on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in an “ominous”memo, The Daily Beast reports.

“We want everyone to understand that we need 240 acceptances to help restore The Post’s financial health,” Stonesifer wrote in the memo, obtained and reviewed by The Daily Beast. “We have made the decision, if we fall short of this goal, to implement involuntary layoffs in those areas where we have already identified that positions do not need to be replaced, where work can be reassigned more efficiently or where we can otherwise achieve cost savings. These layoffs would offer significantly less generous benefits than the voluntary package and will be consistent with prior layoff packages at The Post.”

The Daily Beast reports Stonesifer noted that 120 staffers across the company have accepted a buyout package, nearly two months after she announced the buyouts. In an email to staff on Tuesday, executive editor Sally Buzbee said 36 of those were newsroom staffers, “about 30 percent of our goal across the News department” for accepted buyout offers. The deadline for non-union employees is Dec. 11 while employees within the Post Guild have until Dec. 15.

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