This Is the Only Time You Should Accept an Early Retirement Offer by Matt Krantz If you’ve been looking to make the math work on an early retirement, you just might get your wish. Drugmaker Pfizer and automaker GM recently announced buyout offers for long-time employees, and experts say this could just be the start. This year, companies plan to cut 46,100 jobs due to voluntary severance, which includes buyouts and early retirement offers.