Counselling Intervention for Managing Work-Life Balance Among Female Bankers in Diamond Bank PLC, Enugu Branch

Work-life balance challenges among female professionals in Nigeria's banking sector are increasingly linked to occupational stress, reduced job performance, and attrition from the workforce. This study examined the effectiveness of a structured counselling intervention for managing work-life balance among female bankers at the Enugu branch of Diamond Bank PLC, South East Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was used. Fifty female employees identified with poor work-life balance scores were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight individual and group counselling sessions addressing time management, boundary-setting, role prioritisation, and self-care strategies. The Work-Life Balance Scale was administered pre- and post-intervention. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. Findings indicated a significant improvement in work-life balance scores among participants in the intervention group, with notable reductions in role overload and emotional spillover. Session modules focused on assertive communication and time scheduling were rated most beneficial by participants. The study concluded that structured counselling interventions can meaningfully improve work-life balance for female banking professionals. Recommendations included the establishment of employee wellness programmes by bank management and the training of human resources staff in basic work-life balance counselling competencies applicable within the Nigerian financial sector. Keywords: work-life balance, female bankers, counselling intervention, Enugu, occupational well-being.