Working remotely can make anyone feel disconnected from their business support system. In the office, everyone you need is right down the hall, from the snack machines to the IT department. Many businesses manage or outsource an IT help desk to assist employees with day-to-day technical concerns. This help desk service is even more important when you are working remotely or your employer has initiated a work-at-home policy.

But something about being at home often makes professionals shy about calling for IT support when it’s needed. As IT professionals, let us tell you that we’re here for a reason. Your IT help desk team is there to help you through both setup and tech challenges in the course of your job. Today, we’re here to highlight when remote employees can and should call their IT help desk support.

To Set Up Your Tech Stack

Transitioning to remote, you need to set up your home computer to do the job. Whether you’re using a personal computer or using a provided laptop, it’s important to set up your tech-stack for both remote performance and remote security. Installing your software, it’s often a good idea to get on the phone with IT support. Make sure you’re installing everything in the right order and taking the right customization steps so that your whole stack works correctly. An apt installation with IT assistance can mean easy error-free work in the future.

When You Can’t Log In

Login troubles are always within the top three reasons why professionals contact IT support. If you can’t log in or something is wrong with your login, the IT help desk is often your first and best solution. Login troubles often mean that you are unable to access your work or the data necessary to do your work. Whether your account has lost authorization or your password isn’t how you left it, the iT help desk team can get you back on track quickly.

When Your Video Meetings Have Troubles

Video meetings are a unique challenge of post-COVID remote working. Where once, only a few thousand employers around the globe conducted regular video meetings, now it’s the best and only way to have a long conversation between team members. So if you have technical troubles like camera issues, screen sharing complications, or security concerns, don’t hesistate to call IT. It’s far better to spend some time with the help desk than spend your next five meetings battling performance bugs.

When You Suspect Malware or Phishing

Hackers are everywhere. That hasn’t changed between the office and remote work. In fact, professionals working from home are at even more risk than those in the office because they must enact their own local network security. But you don’t have to do it alone. If you are worried about security or if you suspect that you are being targeted or infected by hackers, contact your IT help desk. Describe the situation and they will guide you through what you need to do to stay safe and secure your data.

When The Data Looks Wrong

Likewise, keep an eye out for any apparent errors in your company’s shared software and data. Data entry and processing errors happen, and your eyes might be the first or clearest to see the problem. Send a polite message to your IT help desk any time the data in your remote work software letting them know. This is a great way to keep everything in-line and safe, even if you’re not the right person to make the fix you could be essential to preventing future problems.

When an API is Broken

Finally, watch for broken APIs. With everyone suddenly working remotely, businesses have thrown together remote tech stacks, including handmade and recently installed APIs to make it all work. If two pieces of software are not working together the way they should, call your IT help desk. Get assistance either working around the problem, fixing the problem, or letting the right people know that a fix is needed for the sake of everyone who relies on your shared software stack.

As a remote working professional, when is the right time to call your IT help desk?  If you have a question or concern, we encourage you to call. That’s what we’re here for.