Congresswoman Mazie Hirono has joined fellow Democrats in criticizing a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the time workers have to sue their employers for pay discrimination.

The court voted 5-4 Tuesday to throw out a Goodyear employee's complaint that she earned thousands of dollars less than her male counterparts.

Under the court's decision, an employee must sue within a 180-day deadline of a decision involving pay if the employee thinks it involves his or her race, sex, religion or national origin.

"The court's interpretation of the Civil Rights Act completely ignores the reality of the workplace, because in many cases workers don't discover they are being subjected to pay discrimination until much later, often beyond 180 days," said Hirono, D-Hawai'i.

"This decision is a setback for women in their fight for equality, as women are often the ones who bring such claims. This decision is totally one-sided and unfair to workers."

Hirono is a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, which has oversight of workplace issues.

"I will support efforts in Congress to remove the time restrictions used by the court to deny the rights of workers to equal and fair pay," she said.