My remark about the "free market" met that, if you believe in free market, you believe in competition. If you believe in competition, it is obvious that if one company that has a social conscience does something that is a little costly because they value their employees, this would put them out of the "competition" with those company who have no social conscience and thus would NOT bother to give adequate maternity leave to their employees.
However, if the labor laws are there to provide at least BASIC labor law, then it gives all companies a level playing field. . .and if some companies want to do more (like offering paternal leave as an option), that would be icing on the cake, to attract good employees! But at least, those businesses who don't care about retaining good employees, and just want "bodies" to work on an assembly line or something, are require to provide the basic maternity leave.
This law is ALSO what has allowed women to become more "competitive" in the employment market. Instead of having to leave their job to have a baby, they are able to take their maternity leave, which is beneficial to both mother and child and the whole family, and still get their job back!
Now. . .I know you are very much pro-child. . .don't you think it is strange that it is the GOP, and the people who are the most "pro-life" and supposedly "pro-child" (because, let's face it, if you're pro-life. . .you better be pro-child!) who bulk at doing something GOOD and HEALTHY for those women who CHOOSE to follow up with a pregnancy, even if it was not a "planned" pregnancy!