What term describes the time at which an employee is eligible to receive retirement benefits contributed by the employer?

The term that describes the time at which an employee is eligible to receive retirement benefits contributed by the employer is "vested." Vested benefits refer to those that an employee has earned the right to keep, even if they leave the company before retiring. This vesting period typically depends on the duration of the employee's service; once an employee is vested, they are entitled to the retirement benefits that have been accumulated based on the employer's contributions over time.

While "eligibility" and "qualification" may refer to aspects of being able to access benefits, they do not specifically denote the earned right to those benefits connected to an employee's tenure. "Contributory" relates to a system in which both the employer and employee make contributions to a retirement plan and does not directly address the timing of when an employee can claim benefits. Therefore, "vested" is the most precise term for when an employee secures their entitlement to retirement benefits from their employer.