Honestly, better training would help more with the back pain. The physical exertion is not the problem, it’s the lifting form. A job that saves you time and money at the gym is not a bad thing. I don’t understand why employers think people want a frictionless work environment. Friction builds capacity and competence.

If it’s a matter of time and efficiency, sure do that, but don’t kid yourself that’s for your productivity metrics, not the employee’s. If it’s a matter of safety, then absolutely address that, but you’re doing it as much for the sake of the company in terms of lost man hours and legal liability.

If you’re trying to raise morale, then people need compensation. That’s the whole deal, I give you my time, effort, and experience and you give me something of equivalent value, monetary or otherwise. You can give them pay, you can give them insurance, you can offer professional development or financial planning services I don’t know, but give them something.

Yes, people tend to prefer to work for a well run company that is taking care of its side of the deal, and providing the tools to do the job you’re paying for. It suggests the company has some future and foresight, but business competence is table stakes, it’s the baseline they should be able to expect.