dealing with what are my severance and appeal rights?

I'm a GS-13 program analyst at USAID. Last Friday our entire Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment was notified that we're being RIF'd effective March 1 as part of the DOGE workforce reduction. 43 people in my division, gone. We got a one-page memo citing "agency restructuring pursuant to Executive Order 14XXX" but zero specifics about severance, buyout options, or appeal rights.

I've been a federal employee for 11 years with consistently outstanding performance reviews. I have no idea what just happened or what my options are. Some questions:

• Am I entitled to severance pay? If so, how is it calculated for GS employees?
• I've heard about VERA/VSIP buyout options — is that something USAID has offered, or is it agency-by-agency?
• Can I appeal the RIF to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)? What are the timelines?
• Is this even legal? The memo didn't cite any specific statutory authority beyond a vague executive order reference. We had no warning — one day everything was normal, the next day we're told our jobs are gone in 6 weeks.

Any feds who've been through a RIF before — or attorneys who handle these cases — I would really appreciate your input. I'm trying to stay calm but 11 years of service and this is how it ends.

Sharing my experience from Treasury since our timeline is about 3 weeks ahead of yours. Our division (Office of Technical Assistance, International Affairs) got the same treatment in early January. 28 employees RIF'd with a vague one-paragraph memo.

Here's what I've done so far:

EEOC Complaint: I filed an EEOC complaint alleging disparate impact. Our unit was 78% women and 65% people of color, and we were the only division cut entirely while other units with similar functions but different demographics got restructured rather than eliminated. The EEOC has 180 days to investigate, but given the volume of federal complaints right now, don't expect speed.

MSPB Appeal: I also filed an MSPB appeal challenging the RIF procedures. Our agency didn't properly apply retention standing rules — they ignored veterans' preference and tenure group priorities. Two veterans in our unit with higher retention standing than non-veterans were RIF'd while non-veterans in the same competitive level were retained. That's a textbook RIF procedure violation.

Congressional Inquiry: I contacted my member of Congress (I'm in the Maryland delegation). Their office submitted a formal inquiry to Treasury's IG. Not sure this will accomplish anything but it creates a paper trail.

Practical advice: Document everything NOW. Save copies of your SF-50s, performance reviews, position description, the RIF notice, any emails about the restructuring. Do not rely on agency systems — download and save to personal storage. Several colleagues have reported losing access to their government email within hours of the RIF notice with no opportunity to save records.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay organized, get a lawyer, and know that you're not alone — there are thousands of us going through this right now.