“The fact that the employer didn’t know if they were coming back or not provided me with a job.”
You were reaping benefits from the gubmint-induced inefficiencies. Nothing to brag about, but it may have been beneficial to your finances at the expense of the company’s.
That's why I'm against the Feds or States requiring it. In my case, which I admit is rare, the employer was a community-building capitalist, and provided paid maternity leave even though it wasn't required. From what I heard from the people I worked with, the maternity rate there was lower than average. (small sample group) I can tell you the way he ran the business made for very happy employees who loved him.