I was hired about a year ago just before the 4th of July rush, for a local grocery store that needed the extra hands for the produce department, and they kept me on once the rush was over. Throughout nearly my entire time working there, I was making around 25 hours a week. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, on occasion, a lot more. The pay is decent, my bosses are nice, and I like my job. Just stocking produce, throwing bad product, and cutting up melons in the back to make into fruit trays. It's peaceful. I enjoy it.
However, about two months ago, my direct boss, the produce manager, hired somebody new for the job, even though from what I could tell, we didn't have any more work that needed to be done and everything was already proceeding pretty nicely. Ever since he was hired, my hours have been dropping quickly. 19 hours to 15 hours to 11 hours to 9 hours, to this week, where I was informed that I would be making a miniscule 4 hours.
I asked my boss if I might be able to get more hours and asked if I did anything that was wrong, trying to figure out why I wasn't getting the amount of hours I'm used to, about 3 weeks in, and I was told that I was hired as a part-time worker, and so I was going to be getting part-time hours, but in a kinder less blunt way. A few weeks later, she casually mentioned to me that since she wasn't seeing the number of dollars she expected for this month, she was planning to shut down produce even earlier and cut more hours as a result. I have a feeling I'm only kept on the payroll out of pity, even if I don't have any proof for it. I'm actively willing to work more hours and constantly hoping I see more hours whenever I get my schedule for the next week.
I'm only 21 and need the hours more than ever, since I moved in with my two other sisters and have to support a third of the bills, when I make less than $400 a month now. I don't know what to do. I love my job, it really makes me happy, and it's one of those jobs that I feel I would be perfectly happy doing for the rest of my life, but I can't if the hours are this unsustainable. What do?