(a) As used in this Code section, the term "professional employer organization" means an employee leasing company as defined in Code Section 34-8-32 that has established a coemployment relationship with another employer, pays the wages of the employees of the coemployer, reserves a right of direction and control over the employees of the coemployer, and assumes responsibility for the withholding and payment of payroll taxes of the coemployer.

(b) A professional employer organization may collect information to evaluate costs; may obtain life, accident and sickness, disability income, workers' compensation, and other types of insurance coverage; may establish retirement plans; may have other types of employee benefits; and may discuss such benefits with prospective coemployers and their employees.

(c) A coemployer of a professional employer organization shall retain sufficient direction and control over the employees involved in a coemployment relationship as is necessary to conduct its business operations and fulfill its obligations to such employees. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, such coemployer shall be considered to be the sole employer of such employees for licensing purposes, provided that nothing contained in this Code section shall be deemed to prohibit a professional employer organization and its coemployer from agreeing that the professional employer organization shall be considered to be an employer for licensing purposes. The professional employer organization shall give written notice of such an agreement to the appropriate licensing agency and to the employees involved.

(d) It is the intent of this Code section that professional employer organizations shall be considered to be employers under this title and are required to comply with the provisions of Code Sections 34-8-32, 34-8-34, and 34-8-172. Professional employer organizations and their coemployer clients are entitled to exclusive remedy under Code Section 34-9-11.