The United States federal government requires unpaid leave for serious illnesses, but does not require that employees have access to paid sick leave to address their own short-term illnesses or the short-term illness of a family member. However, a number of states and localities do require some or all employers to provide paid sick leave to their workers. Some jurisdictions allow for "safe leave", the use of sick leave for health and safety reasons related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of violence and harassment.